Time After Time
by lovelyladylily22
Summary: It's Buffy's wedding day. But before the groom is revealed, we catch up on what she's been doing in the two years since the fight with the First. Including a spell that sent her back in time to save Giles. Who does she actually end up marrying?
1. Chapter 1

She stood there. The figure looking back at her in the floor length mirror looked elegant. So much unlike how she felt usually. Her blonde hair fell in perfect ringlets. She looked like a bride from centuries earlier, in the custom made "retro" designer gown. She blinked quickly, to rid her eyes of a sudden dampness. A knock at the door jarred her and a familiar red-haired head popped in through it.  
"Hey, Buff. Are you ready?" Buffy turned to Willow and nodded.  
"I never thought this day would come. Truly." Buffy hid her shaking hands by picking up her bouquet. "I mean, so much has happened in the last few years..." Buffy's voice trailed off, and Willow moved to hug her.  
"I know, Buff. And I know the rest of us haven't always been very accepting. But I promise you. It has all changed." Slowly, Buffy nodded.  
"Let's head down before the groom gets cold feet and decides to leave." She said it with a grin, knowing full well he wasn't going anywhere. She had complete and utter faith in him finally. Even if it had taken losing him to find out she couldn't live without him.

:~:~:Two Years Earlier:~:~:  
She stood on the edge of the crater. All that remained of her home town was a pile of rubble at the bottom. The others had already gone on. Robin needed to get medical help, and Faith had gone on with him. Willow had taken the remaining Slayers and Dawn to the nearest motel they could find. Giles had gone to the airport, saying he'd need to look into rebuilding the Council as soon as possible, since there were new Slayers coming to them for help everyday. Andrew had gone with him. Xander...well, Xander was taking Anya's death very hard and had gone off on his own. Buffy had been growing more and more restless each day. Finally, she told everyone she needed to take a break, take a walk and just get some space. No one suspected she'd go to the crater. But it had finally allowed her some semblance of peace. It became a habit for her, over the next three weeks. Each day, she'd take a walk and find herself at the crater.  
"Hey, Spike." She greeted the gaping hole he had left behind, the way she had done every other day. "This will probably be my last day stopping by here. Giles is shipping me out finally. He wants me to track down some of the newbies and begin training them. And I must admit, I'm getting bored here. I just wish..." She sat down on the edge of the crater. "I wish you were coming with me. I know you never saw a future, and heck...I never gave you a reason to believe there could be one. But now that you're gone, I can't help thinking that maybe we could have found a way to make it work." Buffy sighed heavily. "I know I can't change anything. But I just wanted you to know. I haven't forgotten what you've done for me. Everything you've done for me." Buffy pulled out a small metal lighter from her pocket.  
"This belongs with you. I am keeping the ring with me, so I'll always have a piece of you. But this-" She tossed the lighter into the crater. "Should be wherever you are. Goodbye, Spike." With a few tears in her eyes, Buffy turned her back on the ruins of Sunnydale and walked away for the final time.

:~:~:A Few Weeks Later:~:~:

Buffy was running. But this time, she was running away from the monster, not toward it. She couldn't risk the safety of the people in the crowded mall in downtown Cleveland. Luckily, the massive Chirago Demon was following her and ignoring the people in the mall. It chased her to the most uninhabited place Buffy could find: an abandoned warehouse. Buffy and the demon tousled, and it seemed to have the upper hand. Until Xander appeared. His sudden emergence from the shadows and quick crossbow work distracted the demon long enough for Buffy to behead it. Once it was done, she moved to Xander, smacking his arm lightly.  
"Willow and I have been worried sick about you." Xander shrugged.  
"Sorry, Buff. I just needed some time. Look, why don't we grab some coffee. Catch up." Buffy agreed, and led Xander to the closest coffee shop.  
"So where have you been?" Buffy asked as soon as they found a table. Xander looked down at him mug.  
"Traveling. I've been looking for something. Truthfully, I'm not sure what it was I thought I needed to find. Anya's death hit me harder than I thought it would. I mean, it wasn't the first life and death battle we'd been in. And Anya and I weren't back together or anything. But..." Buffy interrupted him.  
"But you still loved her." Xander nodded, looking up at her finally. "I understand. Really." Buffy reached out and touched his hand. "When someone you love dies like that, it takes time to get over it."  
"Yeah, but in your case, Angel came back."  
"I wasn't actually talking about Angel." Buffy took a sip of her coffee and looked away from Xander. They sat there in silence for a while.

Buffy looked out the window, willing the moisture not to fall from her eyes. She knew Xander had never liked Spike, so she knew without a doubt that she couldn't tell him about her true feelings. But her heart ached for Spike.  
She could close her eyes and picture him as he had been their last night together. It had felt so right just to sleep beside him. Things had begun pair-shaped between them, but had become so much sweeter at the end. It had all changed the night she had needed him the most. That had been the moment she knew, without a single doubt, that she had loved him.  
"Buffy, are you okay?" Xander's worried voice broke into her reverie. She got the feeling he had asked her a few times.  
"I'm fine. Just a bit tired." She shrugged. "That Chirago demon had been terrorizing the town for a few days now. Faith and I had been working to get it contained. Thanks, for all the help." She smiled at him.  
"Anytime. Glad I could have your back again." Xander smiled at her.  
"I'm glad you're back. And I truly believe you're meant to find happiness again. Look at Will with Kennedy. Things will get better for you too."  
She didn't add that she didn't believe the same for herself. Buffy truly felt that she didn't deserve to be happy. Not after the way she had treated Spike.  
"Where is Will these days?" Xander asked.  
"She's in London for two weeks. She'll be back next Tuesday, and then I suppose she'll be off with Kennedy to find other Slayers."  
"Have there been a lot?" Buffy nodded.  
"We find more and more everyday."  
"What's Giles doing?"  
"He's back in London, setting up a new Watcher's Council. With all the new Slayers, there aren't enough Watchers to keep up with everything. So he's recruiting the remainders of the families that were left behind after the First destroyed the former Council. Even still, there probably won't be enough, so he's recruiting those he can train in Watcher's way."  
"I bet he's enjoying that." Xander said with irony. Buffy nodded.  
"He's stressed. We've hardly spoken since Sunnydale."  
"So Faith and you are stationed here?" Buffy nodded.  
"Along with some of the newer recruits and Robin. We train the girls, take them on nightly patrols and-" A yawn interrupted Buffy's sentence. "Sorry."  
"No, no. I completely understand. I should probably let you get home." Buffy smiled at him.  
"Where are you staying?" Xander shrugged at her.  
"I haven't found a place just yet. I had actually just gotten into town."  
"That settles it. You'll come stay with Faith and I."  
"No, Buffy. It's fine, really."  
"Xander, I insist. Come on." Buffy grabbed her coat and stood to leave. She led him to the house she and Faith had rented.

:~:~:A Month Later:~:~:

Xander, Faith, and Buffy had settled into living together with only a few issues. Xander had gotten a job as a carpenter, despite the injury Caleb had given him. Buffy had begun to feel a much closer bond with Xander than she had in a very long time. He helped with training and patrols. It was clear to Buffy that his time off on his own had done him a lot of good.  
A new Watcher was sent to Cleveland to keep an eye on the newer Slayers. Her name was Romana Merrick. Buffy knew the girl was reporting their every move back to Giles, but Buffy had long since decided that maybe things didn't always have to be done by the book.  
One night, while on patrol with the girls, Buffy ran into a familiar demon of the friendly persuasion. She hadn't ever expected to see Clem again. Clem was minding his own business when Buffy approached him.  
"Hey, stranger." Clem spun around and grinned at her.  
"Buffy! I can't believe it's you. I didn't expect to see you again! How the heck are you?" Buffy shrugged.  
"I'm doing okay. How have you been, Clem?"  
"Oh, you know. Behaving, I promise. Where's Spike? I figured he'd be sticking with you now that he has his soul and all." Clem read her expression, and shook his head. "Oh, Buffy. I'm sorry. What happened?"

"He died saving the world." Buffy closed her eyes against the tears. Clem reached out and touched her shoulder to comfort her.  
"That makes total sense. Spike was always a hero in hiding."

One of the newbies walked up just then, and freaked out, thinking that Clem was attacking Buffy. Buffy moved between the girl and Clem.  
"Whoa, whoa. It's okay Abby. He's a friend." Abby looked at Buffy with disbelief.  
"How can you be friends with a demon? Demons are evil." Buffy sighed.  
"Things aren't always black and white." Buffy held her hands up in surrender. A figure moved out of the shadows and approached them. Romana tsked at Buffy.  
"What exactly are you trying to teach the girls? That demons can be trusted?" Buffy glared at her.  
"You really don't know what you're talking about Romana. I dare you to mention Clem to Giles. See what he'd say. Clem fought beside me in Sunnydale. He helped me. So yes, I am teaching the girls that things in life are not always so boldly black and white." She turned to glance at Clem, then turned back to the Watcher, unaware that Xander and Faith had come close and were watching. "There are shades of gray everywhere. And if you cannot see that, Romana, I'm afraid you aren't going to be very good at your job." Romana stalked towards her.  
"My family has been members of the Council since the beginning of the Council itself. We have ALWAYS done things the right and morally just way and-"  
"Maybe that's why the First was able to destroy the entire Council. But look, if you don't believe me, feel free to take it up with Giles. In the meantime, Clem is under my protection."  
"And mine." Xander said.  
"Mine too." Faith spoke up. Buffy smiled at them both, grateful to them. Romana stalked off by herself. Buffy turned to Clem again. She hugged him.  
"Stay out of trouble. I'll check in on you in a few days, okay?" Clem nodded.  
"Thanks, Buffy. Standing up for me like that means a lot to me."  
"Don't mention it." Buffy smiled and moved towards the others. As a group, they went back to the house.

:~:~:A Few Days Later:~:~:

Giles called Buffy, worried about Romana's report that Buffy was having a relationship with a demon. Buffy scoffed.  
"She wanted us to kill Clem. I wasn't going to let that happen." Giles sighed heavily. "Look, I'm sorry Giles but-" He interrupted her.  
"I'll speak with her. She'll either be more helpful to you, or I will relocate her. Please continue to keep an eye on her, Buffy."  
"Is everything all right, Giles?" Worry flooded through Buffy, though she couldn't explain why.  
"Everything is fine, Buffy. How are the girls doing?"  
"Just fine. Faith and I have them settled into a routine." Buffy and Giles spoke a bit more, strictly about the plans for finding more Slayers. Giles mentioned the possibility of sending Buffy out to look for more Slayers, and Buffy found herself actually excited about that prospect.

:~:~:A Month Later:~:~:

Giles had sent Buffy to Scotland. There was a group of rogue Slayers in the area that he wanted her to look into. Xander got clearance to go with her.

"Of course, considering my...err...disability, I'm not sure I'll be much good at 'looking' into things." Buffy looked at him over her shoulder.

"I'm just glad that there will be at least one familiar face there. These girls sound like they've all been on their own since we made them into Slayers. It can't have been easy for any of them. If they can be convinced to let us help train them..."

"Maybe they won't be so likely to give into the dark side of the Force?" Xander finished. Buffy raised an eyebrow at him.

"Something like that, yeah." She smiled at him and shook her head gently. Classic Xander. They went to the house Giles had arranged for them to rent. They got settled in before Buffy went out on patrol. She found the girls quickly enough. They were drawing a good deal of attention to themselves in a local park. It was clear that some of them had been drinking. Their raucous laughter was drawing glares from some of the nearby people.

Buffy watched them from the shadows, trying to figure out who the leader was. It appeared to be a girl with dark brown hair. Even from the distance she kept, Buffy could see the neon colored streaks in the girl's hair. Piercings were obvious on the girl's face.

"And the vampire was so shocked to see us there. But it worked well. We took care of him quickly, didn't we Vanessa?" The girl elbowed a blonde girl at her side.

"Yeah, Marty. It was nothing. He was so stupid." The blonde girl raised a bottle to her lips and took a large swig from it. Then, she belched loudly. Buffy shook her head. This was going to be difficult.

:~:~:A Week Later:~:~:

Buffy hadn't gotten any closer to gaining the trust of the girls. In fact, she had been far too busy trying to clean up the messes they left in their wake. She noticed a girl that followed the others but did not seem as invested in the type of things the other girls were doing. One night, Buffy followed her as she went off on her own.

The girl made her way to a small apartment building. She looked around before heading inside. Buffy hesitated, but ultimately decided that this girl was possibly the only way she'd gain information about the gang of rogue Slayers. Buffy followed the girl into the building, keeping her distance. The girl slipped into an apartment, and Buffy waited a while before knocking on the door.

"Hello? Can I help you?" The red-haired girl answered the door. Buffy bit her lip. She hadn't come up with anything to say before knocking on the door, and she kicked herself for that now.

"Hi, I'm Buffy. I'm new to the area and..." The girl interrupted her.

"I'm sorry, but I don't really have time for this." The girl started to close the door, but Buffy stuck her foot in the gap, keeping it open.

"You're in danger. The girls you've been hanging out with are Trouble. With a capital T." Buffy studied the girl's face before continuing. "I can help you. But only if you will let me." It was the girl's turn to study Buffy.

"Uh-huh. And what do you want in return?" Buffy held up her hands in mock-surrender.

"Not what you think. Look, I know what you are. I am one too. In fact, I'm sort of the reason you are what you are."

"I knew you looked familiar! You're the girl from my visions. From all our visions. Oh, if Marty knew you were here..." The girl turned and glanced behind her. "You have to come in. If Marty finds you, she'll kill you." Buffy nodded and followed the girl into the apartment.

"Forgive me for saying this, but you don't seem like the others. You're not as...how do I put this?"

"Gruesome? Dark? Lead by a crazed maniac out for blood?" The girl shrugged before continuing. "I'm not like them. I was just lost. When I became what I am, I had no clue how to deal with it." Buffy nodded, remembering what it had been like when she had been called. "I was bullied from an early age. Then, one day shortly after the visions started, I got in this fight. The girl that had picked on me pulled my hair. I don't know why, but I'd had enough that day. I turned around and decked her. Only..."

"Only the hit was much harder than you intended?" Buffy asked and the girl nodded. "I get that. Believe me, I do. It's the Slayer strength." The girl looked confused. "Slayer. That's what we are. Specifically, Vampire Slayers. See, originally, one girl in every generation in all the world was chosen to be the Slayer. To stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. Except, a few months ago, that all changed. We were in a fight with this thing called the First. It was literally the First Evil. The thing that all other evil in the world sprang from. We needed back up. So Willow did this spell. Willow's a witch. Anyway, it called all the Potential Slayers and made them full Slayers. That's why you and the others became Slayers. Now, we are trying to find all the Slayers we can to help them adjust."

"So, what? You want us to all fight on your side? I'm sorry, lady, but you aren't exactly making me feel compelled to help you." The girl headed to a small fridge and grabbed a bottle of water.

"We want to help train you. If you don't agree with us after that, you can go out on your own."

"What about Marty and the others? Can you offer me protection from them?" Buffy nodded.

"I can promise you. We'll keep you safe. It'll mean you'll have to travel to London. At least for a bit. There's a Council there with people that could help you." The girl sighed, turning her back on Buffy and pacing the small apartment. Eventually, the girl turned around.

"Okay. I'll do it." Buffy smiled and went to the girl.

"What's your name?"

"Ruby. Ruby Thompson." The girl smiled at Buffy nervously.

"Well, Ruby. I promise you'll be safe. Why don't you pack a bag? I have a place where you'll be much safer than here." Ruby nodded and went to do so. Buffy called Xander who agreed to come pick them up. A little while later, they headed downstairs to meet Xander. Unbeknownst to all of them, another girl was watching them as they left.


	2. Chapter 2

((I want to thank the website BuffyWorld for posting the script to Something Blue and making it easier to remember just where I wanted to go with it!))

:~:~:A Few Days Later:~:~:

Xander decided to accompany Ruby to London to be sure she was safe. Buffy hugged Xander before he left.

"Please be safe." Xander hugged her back and smiled.

"Of course. I'll be back before you know it, Buff." Xander left then. Buffy was surprised by how empty the house felt. It wasn't exactly like she felt any romantic feelings for Xander, but she couldn't deny that his companionship had given her a much needed distraction from the sadness she had felt since leaving Sunnydale.

For the first time since moving to Scotland, Buffy pulled the skull ring out that night. She laid in bed, turning it around in her hands, watching it catch the light. She wished, as she had so often, that Spike was there with her, instead of wherever he had gone in death.

:~:~:Around the Same Time, In Los Angeles:~:~:

Spike had just become corporeal again. He wanted nothing more than to go find the blonde Slayer. But he didn't think he deserved her. Plus, he was certainly enjoying being a thorn in Captain Forehead's side while fighting for the greater good. He would find a way to be the man he had wanted to be since falling in love with Buffy. Even if he never saw her again.

That didn't stop him from dreaming. Until he had come back from getting his soul, he didn't think it was possible for vampires to dream. In all the years he had existed as a vampire before, he had never once had a dream. Now, all he dreamed about was _her_. Buffy. He felt like it was slowly driving him insane.

So, he threw himself into helping the Poof save the world. It was all he could think of to help him forget about her. Granted, it wasn't entirely effective. Especially when he slept. But at least it was something. And maybe, just maybe he would one day be the man she deserved.

:~:~:In Scotland, Same Time:~:~:

Buffy continued to follow the other girls, trying to find a way to communicate with any that might not be satisfied with the life Marty had offered them. Unfortunately, she had no luck. It appeared that they were all perfectly content with the rogue life. When Buffy returned home that night, she was exhausted. Not just physically, but emotionally as well. She laid down in bed, but her body was restless. A nervous energy filled her, and she felt the need to move around.

She got out of bed and redressed. Buffy didn't know what she was going to do, but she knew she had to do _something. _She left the house and headed for the nearest cemetery, unaware that she was being followed. She didn't see Marty and the other girls until they struck,

Buffy was walking around a corner when one of the girls barreled into her, knocking her to the ground and lashing out at her with fists. Buffy blocked the blows easily enough. She managed to throw the girl off of her, rolling over and pinning the girl to the ground. That was when Marty struck. She pulled Buffy off of the other girl, displaying a strength Buffy didn't realize she was capable of.

"Who the Hell are you?" Marty asked, slamming Buffy against the wall of a building in the alleyway. and holding her there. Buffy struggled against the girl and managed to free herself, even if only for a moment.

"The name's Buffy. I'm a Slayer. Just like you. But unlike you, I'm not hurting people just because I can." Marty spit in Buffy's face. She slammed into Buffy again, and Buffy gasped as her back hit the wall with force.

"You know nothing about us. We work for the Immortal. He has given us a new chance at life. He will rid the world of you and your pretentious friends unless you join us. Mark my words. There is nowhere on Earth you can hide." Marty throttled Buffy, who struggled to get air. The girl that had originally attacked Buffy tapped Marty on the shoulder and whispered something Buffy couldn't quite make out in her oxygen deprived state. Marty nodded and slammed a fist into Buffy's face, causing Buffy to see stars. Everything went black, and Buffy crumpled to the ground.

:~:~:A Few Hours Later:~:~:

Buffy woke up in a strange room. She had no idea where she was or how long she had been out for. She sat up, fighting a wave of dizziness. Slowly, Marty's words came back to her. She knew she had to pass them on to Giles and the Council. Only...Buffy couldn't remember grabbing her phone before leaving the house. She was about to get out of bed when an older woman with long white hair came in.

"Oh good. You're awake finally." The woman placed a tray on the bed near Buffy. It had a teapot and cup. The woman poured Buffy a cup of tea before handing it to her.

"Thank you for your help. But who are you?" Buffy asked, her mind suspicious.

"My name is Elizabeth Brown. My husband was a Watcher. When Giles sent you here, he requested that I watch out for you. Drink your tea. It will help." Mrs. Brown started straightening the already tidy room. Buffy took a sip of the tea, and the liquid had a miraculous effect on her body. It made all the aches and bruises from Marty's abuse disappear. Buffy wondered if Mrs. Brown was a witch.

Mrs. Brown left her alone again, insisting that Buffy finish her tea. Buffy did so, and felt better almost immeadiately. Eventually, she felt strong enough to get out of bed. In doing so, she realized she wasn't wearing the clothes she had been when Marty and the other girl had jumped her. She felt slightly weird about that fact. She looked around and found her clothes folded on a chair.

Buffy changed back into her clothes and left the room. Mrs. Brown sat in an easy chair in a small, cozy living room. She looked up as Buffy came out of the room.

"Feel better, dear?" She smiled widely at Buffy, as if she had known her for a long time. Buffy nodded. "Glad to hear it. Rupert will be wanting you to check in with him as soon as possible. Buffy nodded again.

"Thanks. For a ll your help. I should get back out there." Mrs. Brown shook her head.

"No, my dear. Giles does not want you to leave this house. You'll be safe here, but out there, the Immortal could find you. None of us can afford that. " Buffy wanted to ask who the Immortal was exactly, but decided against it. Something about Mrs. Brown's expression told Buffy it wasn't a welcome subject.

Instead, Buffy decided to call Giles. Mrs. Brown handed her a phone, and Buffy called Giles' numbered. He answered after the third ring.

"Buffy? Is that you?" His voice was full of stress. She could practically hear him cleaning his glasses to rid himself of the nervous energy.

"Yeah, it's me. I'm fine Giles. Really. But I'm apparently under house arrest." She looked at Mrs. Brown apologetically, to let her know she didn't blame the woman.

"We uncovered a plot against you, Buffy. Do you recall reading anything about the Immortal in any of the books I had you study? " Buffy thought for a moment. She had a dim memory of the mention of an ancient vampire called the Immortal. But she couldn't remember anything specific.

"I don't remember anything specific. Who is he exactly? Aside from being an ancient vampire?"

"The Immortal is a vampire who is nearly as old as the Master was. He has been influential in the rise and fall of many kingdoms. The Immortal works alongside the Roman division of Wolfram and Hart., as rumor has it anyway. He's become a bit like the Godfather. A mafia leader of the worst sort. Vampires and demons all follow him. Now it appears there are a number of rogue Slayers following him as well. We have Intel that suggests that the Slayers you have found are among these rogues."

Buffy was silent for a few moments. She knew all of that, but it still chilled her to let that realization sink in. The fact that a Slayer would work with the Immortal was nearly incomprehensible. It really didn't bode well that someone like Marty would choose that path. Giles continued, shaking her from her reverie.

"I will make arrangements for you to come to London. We can go from there on making a plan to keep you safe from the Immortal."

"What are you saying, Giles? You want me to run away from this threat?" She said, her voice incredulous.  
"Not exactly. I'll explain everything once you are safe, Buffy. Until then, I have a lot to discuss with Eloise-er...Mrs. Brown. I'll contact you again once everything is planned out." Buffy started to object about Giles running her life for her, but he insisted. Finally she passed the phone to Mrs. Brown.

While Mrs. Brown spoke to Giles, Buffy went back to the room she had woken up in. She knew she needed to give the threat the Immortal posed a bit more thought. This wasn't something she could just jump into blindly. It wasn't like Glory. Or the First. Or any of those other major big bads she had fought.  
Suddenly, she was overwhelmed. All she wanted to do was give up. Buffy curled up on the bed, her knees against her chest. She drew the chain she wore around her neck out of her shirt so that she could see the ring on it. Somehow, the familiar glint of Spike's skull ring reminded her to breathe. She dozed off, dreaming about the spell that Willow had cast on them, making them think they wanted to get married.

:~:~:Approximately Two and a Half Years Earlier:~:~:

_**Well fine! Why doesn't she just go marry him? **_

_Of course, Buffy had no idea exactly what it was that Willow had said to trigger the part of the _Will Be Done _spell that had caused Buffy and Spike to believe they were madly in love and wanted to get married. All she knew was she could not be happy again until she was Mrs. William Pratt._

**_Giles walked in and saw (through blurry vision) Spike kneeling down on one knee with Buffy standing before him, trying to hold back tears. Spike was holding her left hand._  
"_It's just so.. So sudden! I don't know what to say!"_**

"_**Just say yes, and make me the happiest man on earth."**_

"_**Oh, Spike! Of course it's yes!" Spike stood and pulled her to him, into a long passionate kiss. Buffy turned to Giles. "Giles - you'll never believed what's happened!"**_

_Buffy had never stopped to consider the fact that, just hours earlier, she had absolutely despised Spike. All she knew was she _NEEDED _to be married to him. Some inner voice was driving her. Despite the barely concealed contempt Giles showed. _

_**Buffy sat on Spike's lap and consulted a hand written list.**_

"_**Ceremony, guests, reception... there's so much to decide**_**."**

"_**Well, first thing, I'd say we're **_**NOT**_**having a church wedding." Spike crosses an item off the list as Buffy runs her fingers through his hair.**_

"_**How about a daytime ceremony in the park?"**_

"_**Fabulous. Enjoy your honeymoon with the big pile of dust." Buffy began getting impatient.  
"Under the trees. Indirect sunlight only."**_

"_**A warm spring breeze tosses the leaves aside and, again, you're registering as Mr. And Mrs. Big pile of dust."**_

"_**Okay, stop it! This is our wedding and you're treating it like a huge joke!" Buffy pouted, frustrated with her fiance.  
"Ooh. Pouty, look at the lip. Gonna get it. Gonna get it." He lurched forward and bit her lower pouty lip, tugging gently before letting go. She giggled.**_

"_**Stop!"  
"Yes, please stop." called Giles from the couch. Buffy moved to sit on the couch next to him.**_

"_**Giles? Did you see my ring?"**_

"_**Thankfully, not very well." Giles rested his head on the back of the couch, eyes closed.**_

"_**Giles, I... I'm not crazy; I know you probably don't approve... and my Dad's not that far away, I could probably... but this day is about  
family, my real family. And I want it to be you that gives me away."**_

_The spell was good. Buffy had no clue she was thinking outside of any way other than the norm. Even when she spoke to Riley. Nothing about marrying Spike felt weird. Despite hating him, she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him._

"_**Aren't they a perfect little us?" Buffy asked, holding up a cake topper. Spike took the little couple and narrowed his eyes at them.**_

"_**I don't like him. He's insipid. Clearly human."**_

"_**How about red paint... we can smear his little mouth - the blood of the innocent."**_

"_**That's my girl." Spike grabbed the back of her head and yanked her in for a hard, deep kiss.**_

"_**Stop that! Right now! I can hear the smacking." Giles called from the couch. Buffy sighed and rolled her eyes at Spike.  
"Honey, we have to talk about invitations. Do you want to be 'William the Bloody' or, like just 'Spike'? 'Cause either way it's gonna look majorly weird."**_

"_**Whereas the name 'Buffy' gives it that touch of classic elegance."**_

"_**What's wrong with Buffy?"**_

"_**Such a good question." Giles said from the couch.**_

"_**Well, it's a terrible name." Spike said, ignoring Giles. **_

"_**My mother picked that name!"**_

"_**Your mother. Yeah, she's a genius."  
"Oh, don't you start on my mother!" **_

_Even after they realized there was magical hijinks at work, Buffy did not believe it could possibly be the work of a spell. In fact, even up to the very moment that Willow reversed the spell, Buffy truly believed she was in love with Spike._

"_**Slayer…" He kissed her passionately, the kiss of people who are deeply and utterly in love. Willow appeared in a crack of lightning. For a moment, she looked around the room before beginning the reversal.**_

"_**Let the healing power begin. Let my  
Will be safe again. As these words  
Of peace are spoken, let this harmful  
Spell… be broken."**_

_**Buffy and Spike froze, lips still touching. They registered the change, and quickly pulled away from each other, faces full of revulsion. They appeared disgusted and once again hating each other fully.**_

"_**Ewww! Oh bloody hell!" Spike said, as Buffy spit repeatedly.**_

"_**Spike lips, lips of Spike..."**_

The one thing the others never knew was that Buffy had never been able to bring herself to return the ring. Even if she had gone back to hating him, the ring was somehow special to her. Especially after the events that had happened after Willow had brought her back. And now? It was the only piece of him she had left. She wasn't going to let it go anytime soon. But she was also determined not to tell the others about its existence.


	3. Chapter 3

:~:~:Approximately Two and A Half Years Later, Los Angeles:~:~:

Spike was walking. He had no specific destination in mind, though he could use a stiff drink. Mainly, he just needed away from the Poof. Spike had forgotten just how annoying Forehead could be.

Spike stopped outside a bar, hesitating. It was clearly shady. The kind of bar William the Bloody had loved, but a man deserving of _her_, of the Slayer, would never even consider entering. He shook his head. Since when had he started measuring every action on whether or not _she_ would approve of it? With a grumble, he headed inside.

The bar was dark and smoky. Spike looked around for an empty stool. Finally, he found one next to a tall blonde. Even though she was gorgeous, Spike was oblivious to her. He sat down at the bar and ordered a whiskey.

"Hey there, handsome. Haven't seen you in here before." The blonde woman pressed herself against him, all but exploding from the too tight red dress she was wearing. Spike tried to ignore her,but the woman reached out and rubbed his thigh with one hand. "You're quiet. I like that. Too many men are focusing on conversation now and not enough are focusing on doing something about it."

"Now, now. Don't take the man's silence as acceptance, Alannis. Blondie bear here doesn't seem very interested in your advances to me." Another woman appeared beside the blonde. This woman was a hair shorter, with dark hair and a dark complexion. She pulled the blonde away gently.

"Oh, Ivy. You never let me have any fun." The blonde pouted, but returned to her stool. The brunette shook her head and turned her attention back to Spike.

"Sorry about my friend. She's had one too many and alcohol tends to get her hormones racing. She's harmless, I swear. Let me buy you a drink or something to make up for it." The woman waved the barman over.

"Sorry, pet. But I was looking for solitude. Thanks for the offer. I think I will be moving on now, however." Spike paid for the whiskey he hadn't even finished and stood up. Ivy put her hand on his arm. She moved in to whisper in his ear.

"Please, Spike." Spike's eyes went wide at her use of his name. She was certain he had never told her his name. "That's right. You didn't."

"What are you?" He studied her face, trying to figure out if she was a witch or a demon.

"What I am is not currently important. But I need your help." Ivy's grip on his arm tightened.

"With what?"

"Not here. Meet me at this address." Ivy slipped a business card into his hand. Spike glanced at it and nodded. Then, he left the bar. Something about this felt ominous. Ivy was clearly afraid of something, and he had become a sucker for a damsel in distress since getting his soul. He shook his head. That wasn't truthful either.

The truth was, something about this woman reminded him of Buffy. Sure, Ivy had dark hair. And sure, appearance-wise, she did not resemble Buffy in the least. Still, there was just something about her. Spike made his way to the meeting place, a small wooded park.

Ivy found him before too long. Spike found himself comparing her mannerisms to Buffy. This was disturbing to him. He knew it wasn't right. This girl had nothing to do with Buffy. It was just that he missed Buffy, and could not get her out of his mind.

"Thanks for coming. I wasn't sure if you actually would," Spike shrugged and Ivy continued. "Bet you're wondering how I knew who yay were, huh? I promise I'll explain everything. But before I do, I'd like to introduce you to a girl."

Spike's eyebrows shot up. Ivy motioned to someone over his shoulder. Spike turned, but his eyes refused to adjust to the sudden bright light that appeared.

"This is Irinia. She's a witch. She's the reason I asked for your help." Irinia came closer. The light faded and Spike could make out a very young girl. Her almost white hair seemed to lift on a breeze that nothing else was affected by. But more importantly, she was beautiful. In a way that was almost painful to behold. Spike was not attracted to her in a romantic sense, but even he could not deny the breathtaking beauty before him.

The woman moved towards him. Even her movements were ethereal in nature. He realized there was something more to her. Then, it hit him.

"You're not human, are you?" Irinia grinned.

"Very good, Spike. I knew you'd see me for what I am. I'm a goddess. I was trapped on Earth long ago. I waited in ice for a century until a few months ago. I know it at the time, but it was the Slayer's actions had been the driving force behind my sudden awakening."

"Ivy said you needed help. What with?" Irinia seemed put off by his apparent lack of attention. Spike didn't even notice.

"Let's go somewhere private. You never know who could be listening here." Irinia turned to Ivy. "Can we use your place?" Ivy nodded.

"My car's not far from here. Let's go." Spike followed the girls, wondering just what the heck he had gotten himself involved in. Still, it beat hanging around Captain Forehead too much.

:~:London, Same day:~:

Giles had arranged everything. Buffy had flown from Scotland the very next morning. Once she had arrived, she was driven to the new Council Headquarters by one of the new Watchers-in-Training. When they reached the compound, Buffy was led to Giles' office. He stood and hugged her.

"Buffy. It's good to see you. Please have a seat and I will fill you in on what we know about the Immortal."

Buffy took a seat across from him and waited. Giles seemed older, and Buffy was worried the stress of running the Council was getting to him. She felt guilty for being so wrapped up in her own issues. Finally, Giles looked up at her.

"We have been keeping an eye on the Immortal for some time now. Before I took over the Council, the Watchers were more lax on their surveillance of him, so it's only recently that we realized he was up to something. He has been gathering people to his cause. At first, it was demons and vampires. We kept an eye on the numbers, but weren't too worried. Until he began recruiting Slayers. We've seen a large number of rogue Slayers since the spell Willow performed in Sunnydale. Very few have sided with evil, I am proud to say. The few that have..." Giles sighed and splayed his hands on the desktop, wearily. "It appears the Immortal is using them to further his agenda."

"Do we know what it is he's planning exactly?" Giles shook his head, still not meeting her eyes. Clearly, he knew more than he was letting on. Buffy wondered what it was that he felt the need to hide from her. She decided it wasn't the best time to press the subject. "What's the plan for me, then?"

"I have a special mission in mind for you. No one can know where you'll be, so I have something I need for you to do that requires secrecy. In the meantime, we have a girl that looks quite a bit like you. She'll act as a decoy, leading the Immortal and his compatriots to believe you are in Italy." Giles explained the job he had in mind for Buffy, and the spell that would be required to disguise her. Buffy felt strangely excited. At least it would give her the chance to _do_ something useful. She left Giles' office and was shown to a room where she would stay for a few days.

That night, she stared up at the ceiling unable to sleep. After an hour of tossing and turning, she decided to explore the compound a bit. She dressed and left her room, deciding her first stop would be to find the cafeteria. But before she reached it, she bumped into Xander.

"Oh, sorry Buff! I didn't expect anyone else to be up this late." Buffy smiled and squeezed his arm.

"I'm glad to see you, Xan." Together, they made their way to the cafeteria. They sat at one of the tables in the empty cafeteria and spoke in hushed voices for quite some time. It was early morning before they both knew it, and they separated. Buffy felt much lighter and found it easier to sleep.

:~:LA, A Few Days Later:~:

Spike had heard everything Ivy and Irinia had to say. He wasn't entirely sure how he could help the earthbound goddess return to her home plane. He briefly debated asking the Forehead for help. As soon as he returned to Wolfram and Hart, however, it became clear that Angel was too preoccupied to do anything to help Irinia.

Spike began researching on his own as much as he could. But he couldn't help wishing that Red was around to help him. She had always been so amazing with anything having to do with research. Spike knew reaching out to her would be a huge mistake.

Over the next few days, Spike set out to trace Irinia's origins. Soon, he began to wonder if she really was as innocent as she had led him to believe, but before he could follow that lead, something happened to distract him.

Her name was Dana. She had escaped from a mental asylum. And she was dangerous. EXTREMELY dangerous. Red's spell had made her into a Slayer, and had given her all the strengths of a Slayer. She experienced, near as Spike could tell, the visions of the Slayer. Just like those Buffy had always talked about. Of course, it wasn't like he had too much time on his hands to actually study her. Especially after she cut off said hands.

Seeing how tormented the abuse Dana had lived through as a child had made her become as an adult, Spike realized, not for the first time, that the things he had done during his vampiric existence had had negative effects. Negative effects that he still needed to atone for before he could become a better man instead of the monster he had been before _her._ And he knew, desperately and with every fiber of his being, that he would find a way to atone for his sins. Even if it meant he had to spend the rest of his un-life avoiding her, he would not look for her until he had made sure he had made up for the sins he had committed against people like Dana.

Once Dana was gone, Spike was lying in the hospital bed with his newly reattached hands. It gave him a lot of time to think. Captain Forehead didn't exactly help him either. Spike decided that the moment he was able, he'd find a way to make it on his own. He would stay on with Angel. At least for a little while longer. Maybe he could find his new un-life purpose by tormenting the giant prat for just a bit longer.


	4. Chapter 4

:~:London:~:

The next few weeks passed quickly for Buffy. There were regular meetings with Giles and the rest of the Watcher Squad (as Buffy had come to call them, in her mind). Willow and the other members of the Coven of Devon were intent on tracking other Slayers. Marty's gang had proven to them all that there was a need for some type of system when it came to the new Slayers.

When Andrew brought Dana to London, the situation became even clearer. Buffy knew they had not actually made a mistake in doing the spell. It was the only way they could have defeated the First. But she couldn't ignore that there had been negative consequences. Dana was messed up, and the Slayer powers had only caused her to break even more. Buffy wondered how many more girls like Dana there were out there. Dana was near uncontrollable. She had to be guarded around the clock, as it was deemed that she was a danger to herself as well as others.

Buffy went down to see her shortly after she arrived. Dana was deeply drugged, and calm for the first time since Andrew had picked her up. Buffy watched the girl, unaware that someone was actually watching her as well. As she turned to head back upstairs, she saw him standing there.

At first, a sliver of ice crept down her spine when she saw him. This man didn't belong here. He wasn't a Watcher, and he wasn't someone she had seen around before. So who was he? Instinct made her muscles rigid, ready to fight. But something about his manner made her think he wasn't there to attack. He simply looked at her, his face peaceful. She started to ask who he was and what he wanted when she heard footsteps. Buffy looked up and saw Xander and Willow coming towards her. When she glanced back where the man had been, he was gone. Unless he had vanished, there was nowhere for him to go except passed her. Buffy was trying to figure out the mystery of the man's disappearance when Xander and Willow reached her.

"Earth to Buffy. Come in Buff." Willow grinned at her, and waved a hand in front of Buffy's face.

"Did you see that guy? He was just here." Willow and Xander both shook their heads.

"There wasn't a guy here, Buff. I think maybe you've been overdoing it with all the extra training and worrying about the rogues and Dana. Maybe you should take a break? We could go out today. See some sights." Xander said, a mischievous and all-too familiar smile on his face. It had been ages since Buffy had seen him look like that, and she decided to go with it. It was true, she thought. They could all use a break. And maybe, just maybe, the man had in fact been a figment of her imagination.

She nodded and followed the two of them back upstairs. But before they could leave, Dawn rushed them, surprising Buffy.

"Dawn! I didn't expect you back from Rome yet." Buffy hugged her sister tightly. Dawn had been taking a college course in Rome for the last semester, and Buffy hadn't realized just how much she had missed her sister.

"I finished all my classes, and caught an early flight back here. I couldn't wait to get back. I was hoping we could catch up." Dawn hugged Willow and Xander as well.

"We were just heading out to grab a bite to eat and do some sightseeing. Why don't you come with us, Dawnie?" Willow suggested. Dawn nodded and went to put her stuff in the room Giles had set aside for her use. They met up in the entrance to the compound a little while later, and they went out for the afternoon.


	5. Chapter 5

:~:L.A. A Few Days Later:~:

Spike had recovered from Dana's attack. He had faint scars around his wrists from where his hands had been reattached. Other than that, he showed no signs of the attack. At least not outwardly. Internally, he was a mess. He decided not to show any of his doubts, knowing Angel would see it as a weakness. But he had definitely changed. Spike refused to give in to any of the urges that had driven his un-life so far. He wouldn't victimize anyone else. He couldn't make every crime he had committed right, but he knew it was a start towards being a better man.

Dana's tormented voice became a sort of conscience to him. He allowed it to lead him towards redemption. He began to become a sort of vigilante whenever he was on his own. He took to roaming the streets of Los Angeles during the nights, when he couldn't sleep. Every night, he was overwhelmed by a restlessness that reminded him to seek out his purpose.

Sure, he was still a member of Angel's team. At least in appearance. He couldn't deny that he felt a certain companionship with some of the people Angel had surrounded himself with. Fred, for instance, had definitely made an impact on Spike. After all, she had been friendly to him even before he had become corporeal again.

But he couldn't deny that he didn't quite feel like he belonged. Over the next few weeks, the feeling grew. Especially after Fred's death and Illyria took over her body. Spike was interested in the Old One, in seeing what she could do.

Truthfully, he had almost completely forgotten his promise to Irinia until Ivy showed up on his doorstep. She was bloody and looked like she had gone a few rounds with a boxer. Spike helped her into his apartment.

"What happened to you, pet?" Spike asked after getting her inside and making sure she hadn't been followed. Ivy shuddered violently, and struggled to speak. Finally, she did, but she wouldn't look up at him. Instead, she stared at a spot on the carpet at her feet.

"It was Irinia. She's furious because she is no closer to making it home. She said she was going to use me to send a message to you." She finally looked up at him. Spike saw something in her eyes that made him curious, but it disappeared before he could puzzle out what it meant. "She's evil. I wanted to tell you before, but..."

"Let me guess. You couldn't?" He looked at her skeptically. Slowly, Ivy nodded. Then, she looked up at him. Tears filled her eyes. The part of him that remained the same person he had been as a human felt bad for her and wanted to be her hero.

"I tried, I did. But she did something to my mind. I felt like I was in a fog. I couldn't get out of it, and I couldn't tell you the truth." Spike raised an eyebrow at her, trying to figure out if she was being honest or not.

"And I am supposed to believe you because you have been so open and have given me a reason to trust you? I knew something was off with Irinia. I just wasn't sure quite what. So tell me. How did she rope you into helping you? What is she holding over your head?"

"I can't tell you. If I do-"

"She'll kill you? Or...no, she'll kill someone important to you? A lover maybe? Or a child?" He rolled his eyes with a small sigh.

"My father, actually." Ivy narrowed her eyes at him. "And if you're going to be shirty about it, I'll just go." She stood up and headed for the door.

"Did you just say shirty?" Spike looked at her, shocked. Ivy turned, her face red. Clearly, she hadn't meant to let that word slip out.

"It's a long story. A _very_ long story." She sighed and moved back to the couch. But before she made it there, her knees gave out, and she passed out. Spike rushed to her and caught her before she hit the ground. Gently, he carried her to the couch. More than before, she reminded him of Buffy, even though he couldn't figure out what it was about her that did it. Her tanned skin was a shade darker than Buffy's, but that could just mean it was sun-kissed. Her hair, with its dark brown shade and blonde highlights, reminded him more of the hair he had had as a human than Buffy's blonde.

He brushed a stray hair back from her face, wondering again who this woman was, and why she felt so familiar to him. Something about her injuries made Spike want to rip Irinia to shreds. His body shook with anger he didn't even entirely understand.

Ivy murmured softly in her sleep. At first, Spike couldn't make out what she said. But then, something in his brain clicked, and he suddenly understood what the single word that she had said softly in her sleep actually was.

"Daddy."

:~:London, Same Day:~:

Buffy and Xander were in the cafeteria waiting for Willow and Dawn. Willow was wrapping up another meeting with the Coven. Dawn, in the meantime, was working with some of the newer Slayers. Buffy had watched Dawn over the last few days and weeks, and had realized that her little sister had learned quite a bit while she was in Italy. No doubt, Andrew had been a big part of that. But Buffy didn't see it as such a bad thing. Particularly not if there were a lot of rogue Slayers out there that might or might not target Dawn.

Xander smiled at Buffy, and patted her shoulder. Buffy looked up at her friend, and noticed that he looked happier than she had seen him look in a long time. She wondered if it was because of the action they had seen lately, or if it was something more. Every time Willow and Buffy asked about his love life, Xander clamed up and refused to talk about it. So they had no idea if he was even interested in anyone.

Buffy smiled up at Xander. His smile was infectious, and she couldn't resist. Movement caught her eye, though, and she looked up. The man from before was there again, watching her. Only now, she could see his facial features better and could tell he was more of a boy than a man. He couldn't have been more than eighteen years old. More importantly, he looked familiar somehow. Not just because she had seen him before, but there was something about his mannerisms that tugged at her. Buffy stood up.

"What's up Buff? You look like you've seen a ghost." Xander turned to look over in the direction that Buffy was staring in, but the boy had disappeared. Buffy shook her head in disbelief. He had been there one second and gone the next. Xander looked at Buffy, confused.

"What's going on? You look freaked out." Buffy shook her head, not trusting herself to speak. She looked at him, and took a deep breath before she could say anything.

"I think I need to go talk to Giles. Let the girls know I'll be right back?" Xander nodded, worried about her. But by now, he knew better than to force her to talk. Buffy rushed off, leaving him to wonder what had caused her to freak out again.


	6. Chapter 6

:~:London, Same Day:~:

Buffy sat in the office across from Giles. Giles had his fingers steepled in front of his face. His eyes were closed in deep concentration. Buffy sat in silence, waiting for him to speak.

"I have been following reports of a woman with extreme power going by the name Irinia. The Coven said she is on par with Glorificus as far as power. It is possible that she is trying to break you by making you see things."

"This didn't feel like a hallucination, Giles." Buffy shook her head, thinking telling Giles might have been a mistake.

"I think you need to talk to the Coven members. Althenea might be able to help you." Buffy stood up, and started to leave the room. "Buffy, whatever this is, we will solve it." She turned and looked at Giles. Worry was clear on his face. Buffy smiled slightly.

"I know we will." She turned and left the office. After closing the door behind her, she found herself face to face with the young man again. Buffy nearly jumped, but the man held up a finger to his lips, silencing her.

"I need to speak with you. In private." He whispered. Something about the voice sounded familiar. Buffy nodded, and led the way to a vacant room.

"Who are you?" Buffy blurted out as soon as the door was closed behind them.

"My friends call me Blaine. I can't tell you more than that right now, but I am here to ask for your help." Blaine sat down on the bed. Buffy studied him.

It suddenly occurred to Buffy who Blaine reminded her of, but it wasn't possible. He couldn't have anything to do with a dead vampire, could he? And yet, as Buffy watched Blaine's facial expressions, there was something so similar to Spike in them.

"Okay, so tell me. What can I do to help you?" She didn't know why, but something made her want to trust Blaine. So she decided to do it. She decided that he was worth trusting.

"I have a story to tell you. It's not going to be easy to believe but I hope you will believe me." Blaine smiled slightly. Buffy nodded for him to continue. "Okay, I was born two years in the future." Buffy narrowed her eyes at him and studied him, but she didn't interrupt him. "I know. I sound insane. But 20 years in the future, Irinia has taken my father and killed my mother. The Council and the Coven decided to send my sister and I back in time." He continued to tell her about how Irinia had been tormenting his family. Buffy listened in silence, still trying to figure out the source of her familiarity.

When Blaine had finished, he sat in silence while Buffy digested what he had said. Buffy was about to respond when alarm bells rang throughout the compound. Buffy jumped to her feet, and rushed out to the hall. Blaine followed. Slayers and Watchers flooded down the hall. Buffy found Xander and Dawn in the crowd.

"What happened?" Buffy asked Xander as she caught up to them.

"There's been an attack. We aren't sure who the victim is or what happened." Dawn scooted closer to Buffy, her face worried. She noticed Blaine, and looked at him curiously.

"This is Blaine. He's a friend." Buffy glanced back at him. Dawn raised an eyebrow at him. His coloring was different, and Blaine had softer features, but something about him made Dawn think of Spike. More telling, Buffy seemed to trust him. Buffy turned back to Xander. "Let's see what we can find out." She led the way toward Giles' office.

On the way, she bumped into Willow who was talking to an older woman. Buffy recognized Althenea, one of the head witches of the Devon Coven. Willow turned Althenea's attention to Buffy. "Oh, Buffy. There you are. We were looking for you." Willow's eyes were red-rimmed and she had been crying. Alarm bells rang in Buffy's head. "Let's talk in private." Althenea motioned for Buffy to follow her.

"No disrespect intended, but I think I deserve to know what's going on." Buffy fought the urge to glare at the older witch. Althenea simply looked around the room.

"I will explain everything to you. But not here. There are too many ears here." Althenea led the way to a small, cramped office. As Buffy followed, she could not help but remember the day, years earlier, when her mother had been diagnosed with a brain tumor. This felt similar, and it caused a cold feeling to spread through her body.

"Okay, what is going on? What's with the secrecy?" Althenea looked at Buffy with utter sadness clear on her face.

"The Coven has been following a being of immense power for the past several months. the Council, especially Giles, requested that we didn't fill you in on the details until Irinia proved to be a direct threat to you. Unfortunately, that time has come much sooner than Giles anticipated. Approximately ten minutes ago, Irinia managed to slip into the compound undetected. Once inside, she found her way to Giles' office, and assaulted him. With his last ounce of strength, Giles sounded the alarm. By the time we had gotten to him, Irinia was gone, and Giles was beyond help."

Buffy felt the cold feeling slip throughout her body. Her hands shook. It simply couldn't be possible. She had to have misheard Althenea. One look at Willow told her she had heard Althenea completely correctly.

"He's dead?" Buffy's voice came out struggled to get air through her lungs without it hurting.

"There's more, Buff." Willow said softly.

"Willow is correct. The Coven and I have prepared for just such an occasion. It is time for us to talk." Althenea made a gesture, and moments later, three women appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. They moved forward silently, greeting Althenea with small bows.

"I am Mirabella." One of the women, a young-looking woman with dark red hair, turned to Buffy. '"We have heard much about you." Buffy blinked at the woman, still too much in shock about Giles' death to speak yet. Althenea whispered something quickly to Mirabella, before speaking out loud.

"Why don't we give Buffy and Willow a chance to grieve the loss of Giles and talk to their friends. We can make arrangements without them present." The third, and unintroduced, woman spoke from the shadows. She stepped into the light, and nodded respectfully to Buffy.

Willow and Buffy left the room and headed out to find Xander and Dawn. Buffy still felt oddly numb. She knew it would all come crashing down on her sooner or later, but she had to keep it together. She had to hold it together long enough to tell Xander and Dawn. They needed her. So, gathering her strength, she found them.

Dawn and Xander were in the cafeteria, where most of the newer Slayers had gathered, waiting for news. As soon as they saw Buffy and Willow, Xander and Dawn rushed towards them, followed by a grim looking Blaine.

"What happened?" Dawn asked, her voice full of concern. She was clearly reading their expressions, so Buffy made her face as passive as she could manage.

"Let's find somewhere quiet to talk." She glanced at Blaine. "You come too. I think this is going to involve you from here on out." Buffy led them out of the noisy cafeteria and back towards her room.

Buffy sat on he bed and waited as the others came in. She gathered her thoughts carefully before speaking. Finally, she looked up and caught Dawn's eye.

"How bad is it, Buff?" Dawn's voice was tight with tension. Buffy sighed and looked at the others.

"Giles was killed by a woman named Irinia." She blurted the words out, her heart clenching as she spoke them. Dawn studied Buffy in something similar to disbelief. Buffy felt the prick of tears in her eyes, but fought to suppress them.

"It's true, Dawnie." Willow said in a shaky voice. Tears leaked out of her eyes.

"No. It's not possible. It can't be possible." Dawn's voice shook with emotion. She didn't want to believe it. From the doorway, Blaine spoke up.

"It's true." Four sets of eyes turned to him.

"Wait, how do you know?" Dawn asked in a slightly accusational tone. She narrowed her eyes at him, but to Blaine's credit, he didn't even flinch.

"Dawn, give him a chance to explain himself." Buffy turned her attention to Blaine. "Tell them what you told me. They need to hear it too." Buffy closed her eyes against a fresh wave of tears threatening to spill out. Blaine study her for a moment before telling his story for the second time that evening.

"And you believe him, Buffy?" Xander's voice was sharp, and the anger in it made Buffy look up at him. Distrust was clear on his face. Buffy sighed heavily.

"Yes, I trust him. He reminds me of someone. And need I remind you how seldom trusting _my _instincts comes back to bite us in the butt? Not trusting me, on the other hand..." Xander turned to Blaine.

"I really don't see what there is to trust about him. Especially not right now, when Giles has just been murdered by a being of immense power that _he _claims can travel through time. Don't you find it the least bit suspicious that he appeared, claiming to be from the future, and then Giles is murdered?"

"I don't think he had anything to do with it, if that is what you are implying Xander. Blaine was with me when Giles was killed."

"Oh, come on Buffy. Don't you think he's a bit young for you? I know he has a certain resemblance to a certain vampire, but you can't seriously be telling us that he doesn't seem a bit suspicious."

Buffy glared at Dawn. She couldn't believe Dawn was taking Xander's side.

"Look, you three. This is exactly what someone like Irinia would want. She'd want us to fight amongst ourselves, and be so divided that we fall. We all want to get to the bottom of this, and find whoever it was that killed Giles. If we are too busy fighting, we won't be able to do it. I know someone that can tell us if we should trust Blaine. I say we let Althenea tell us if he's being honest." Willow looked at Blaine as she finished speaking. Blaine nodded slowly, but his face was confident.

"I'll do whatever I can to prove that I only want to help." Buffy watched Blaine, curiosity driving her to wonder why he was so similar to Spike. Whatever the reason, she knew she had to focus on Giles' killer, not on Blaine's identity.

"Let's go find Althenea, then. Maybe we can also find out whatever it is they are planning for us then." Buffy stood up and headed towards the door, smiling weakly at Blaine and trying to be reassuring. The others exchanged looks behind her back before following her.


	7. Chapter 7

:~:L.A. Same Time:~:

Spike and Ivy spent the next few hours discussing a plan. Irinia had seemingly covered her bases and made herself nearly undetectable.

Spike had to maintain appearances with Angel, so he left Ivy on her own in his apartment. She assured him that she wouldn't let anyone else in, and he decided it was worth trusting her. He still couldn't put his finger on just what it was about her that reminded him about Buffy. Maybe it was something as simple as her age. After all, Buffy had been the same age as Ivy, give or take, when they had first met.

Spike was deep in thought when he arrived at Wolfram and Hart. His distracted thoughts were not particularly helpful, especially when it came to testing llyria's abilities. When her boot came down on his throat, he inwardly cursed himself.

"Okay, okay. Enough. You win, Blue." Spike managed to get free of Ilyria. He stood up, and found Angel watching him, a smug look on his face. "I'm so glad you are entertained. He glared at the big prat.

"Oh, it's always entertaining watching someone like you get their just desserts, Spike." Angel shrugged away from the wall.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, Captain Forehead. Why are you down here, exactly?"

"Yes, why have you interrupted my discipline of the blonde pet?" Spike rolled his eyes without facing Illyria. Of course that would be her complaint.

"Sorry, Illyria. But I need Spike's assistance in a matter." With a growing feeling of irritation, Spike followed Angel into his office, where Gunn was waiting. Spike plopped down into a chair.

"What's going on now?" Spike looked up at Gunn. Angel answered, and explained the situation.

"So we need you to go to Italy."  
"Bugger that. Do it yourself." He pulled out a mobile game device, using it to show how ultimately uninterested he was. Truthfully, he was worried about leaving Ivy.

"Spike, this is a delicate matter that needs to be handled with a lot of finesse." Gunn spoke in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. "And why the hell are we talking to him?" Gunn turned to Angel.

"Because he signed on to help."

"Not to be some glorified garbage collector." Spike objected.

"It's not garbage, it's a body. And there's a bloody gang war coming our way if we don't get it back." Now, Gunn's voice was urgent.

"Stiff's that important?" Spike asked in disbelief.

"It's the remains of the Capo de Familia of the Goran demon clan."

"Never heard of him."

"That's because the Capo was human tolerant. Kept a low profile. More interested in profit than mayhem."

"What happened to him?" Angel asked in a hushed tone.

"Died on a business trip in Italy. We need to go there, retrieve his body, and return it in the next-" Gunn glanced at his watched and sighed heavily, "ooh, twenty-six hours."

"Or what? He gets deader?" Spike interjected, with growing annoyance. This didn't sound like something that would help his search for a way to help the greater good.

"No, he stays dead. They die, the pupate, they live again. But only if the proper rituals are performed by the immediate family. If the Capo's body isn't returned in time, the rituals won't take. So long Capo, hello power vacuum.

"Which the rival clans will try to fill." Angel added.

"And they aren't as tolerant of humans. If we do this, it all stays cool. If not-"

"We'll stick with do." Angel forcibly removed Spike's legs from the table where they were propped. "Okay, come on. Hey, hey." Angel grabbed the game system out of Spike's hands. "Pack your bags." As he spoke, the phone at his desk started to ring. Angel went to answer it.

"I don't even speak the language." Spike objected, knowing it had little hope of helping his case.

"We'll get you a book." Angel picked up the phone.

"How for you say 'wank off' in Italian?"

"Can somebody please just get on a plane?" Gunn interjected.

"What?" Angel said into the phone, his voice distressed. "When?" Spike wondered what could have possibly distressed Angel so much. "Yeah, I understand. Thanks." As he hung up the phone, Spike spoke sarcastically.

"All right, what is it this time? Ubervamps? Demon gods? Devil robots?" He was ultimately unprepared for Angel's response.

"It's Buffy."

:~:London:~

Buffy and the other's found Althenea fairly quickly. She was addressing the members of the Council. Buffy and the others waited until she was finished to approach her. Althenea waved them into a small office nearby. They all followed her inside.

"We were hoping you could solve a disagreement for us." Buffy stepped aside so that Althenea could see Blaine clearly. Blaine stepped forward. Althenea studied Blaine carefully.

"How long have you been here?" Her voice was soft, and she spoke to him in a familiar manner.

"Not long. I had some issues staying tethered here because of Irinia's spell." Blaine answered her in a similar tone.

"I am glad they sent you back. We are going to need you're help." Althenea did something then that shocked them all. She hugged Blaine.

"Wait a sec, do you two know each other?" Willow raised an eyebrow at Althenea. "Who is he, Althenea?"

"Unfortunately, that is not something I can tell you. I _can _reassure you that Blaine is someone that is here with the sole intention of helping us through this crisis. He has indeed come to us from the future."

Buffy and the others exchanged looks. Willow stepped closer to Blaine. "In that case, I am sorry we didn't believe you."

Blaine moved forward and hugged Willow. At first, Willow went rigid with shock. But soon, something about the hug felt right to her and she actually hugged him back. Althenea grinned and turned to the others.

"Now that that's settled, it is time for me to explain the next step. Irinia is a goddess. She was banished from her home dimension in much the same way as the hellgoddess known as Glorificus. Irinia has the ability to manipulate time. It appears she has come to our time in order to rewrite the future. The problem is, the changes she is making are preventable. All we have to do is send you to the past."

They all looked at Althenea, wondering exactly what she intended for them to do. Althenea smiled slightly at them.

"I expected some kind of resistance. Obviously, we can't send you all back. We would like Buffy and Blaine to go." Here, she encountered the resistance she had been expecting.

"No way. I'm not letting Buffy go with him by herself. I still don't entirely trust him. And all-due respect, but I'm not sure I entirely trust you." Xander glared at Althenea.

"Xander, you don't get to _let _me do anything. I appreciate the concern, but-" Althenea interrupted Buffy.

"We can send Xander back as well. He has skills that might prove necessary for the hazards you might encounter." Althenea smiled reassuringly at Xander.

"I think that is a perfect plan." Buffy said with a small smile. "If it means saving Giles, I'm willing to do whatever it takes."

"The Coven members are making preparations for the spell as we speak." Althenea turned to Willow. "I am sure your assistance would be greatly appreciated." Willow left the room, hugging Buffy before she did.

"How soon do you think you'll be able to do the spell?" Buffy moved closer to Althenea, glad to have something to _do_, instead of grieving for the man that had been more like a father to her than just a Watcher.

"Everything should be ready within the hour. I must insist you take the upmost precautions and do not do anything that will change the events up until Giles' death. All we are doing is fixing the effects of Irinia's vile actions. Save Giles however you can. But don't change anything else." With that warning, Althenea left the room. Buffy turned to the others. Before she could say anything, Xander spoke up.

"Buffy, I have some things to take care of. Meet up here in an hour or so?" Buffy nodded and Xander left. Then, she turned to Blaine.

"Okay, spill. How do you know the leader of the Coven of Devon?" Buffy moved towards Blaine.

"Buffy, you heard Althenea. People who time travel have to be careful not to mess with the future. I'm sure Blaine would tell us if he could without messing with our future." Dawn glanced at Blaine. With a sigh, Buffy admitted to herself that Dawn did have a good point.

"Fine, but I'll find out who you are." Blaine smirked, his expression very much like Spike's had once been. Buffy narrowed her eyes at him.

"If you'll excuse me, I need to make a phone call." With that, Blaine slipped from the room. Buffy watched him go, wondering how he could so perfectly channel a vampire that had died in Sunnydale.

:~:Spike's Apartment, L.A.:~:

Ivy had fallen asleep not long after Spike had left. The buzz of the cellphone she had been given upon arrival to this strange time woke her up. She sat up, once again marveling at where she was. She answered the phone, and heard her brother's voice.

"Ivy! Are you there? I'm not sure I am using this thing correctly." Ivy smiled at the rush of joy she felt hearing his voice.

"Yes, I'm here. What's going on in London? Did you meet her? Oh my gosh, I have so much to tell you." She could almost hear the smile in his voice when he responded.

"Things are going smoothly here. Irinia showed up and killed Giles, like we knew would happen. Althenea is sending some of us back to the past to fix it. Have you made contact with Spike?" Ivy sucked in a sharp breath.

"You know he doesn't like to be called that anymore."

"Maybe not in our time, Ivy. But you have to remember. We aren't in our time. And besides, Althenea warned us that these lines might not be the most secure. We can't give away who we are if we can help it." Ivy couldn't resist rolling her eyes.

"Fine, fine. I know you're right. So how soon are you leaving?"

"Within the hour. But Ivy? There's something I need you to do for me. You and Spike need to be able to make it to the future. That means you need to stay safe. If I go into the past, she might come looking for me. But I think there's a bigger chance that she will come after you. Take care of yourself, okay Ivy?"

"I'll be fine, Blaine. Be careful, okay?" They hung up, and Ivy felt like she had a lump in her throat. She tried to push away the fear.

:~:Wolfram And Hart:~:

All it took was Angel mentioning Buffy and Spike knew he would be going to Italy. In fact, he was adamant about it.

He pushed his way into the trip, believing they had to do everything in their power to keep Buffy safe from the Immortal. He called Ivy to let her know the plan.

"I shouldn't be gone more than a few days. Stay in the apartment and you will be safe enough." Spike worried that his promise was empty, but he chose to hope for the best.

"Good luck." Something in Ivy's voice made him think something was up.

The trip to Italy would serve to remind Spike that he needed to redeem himself, even if it meant he didn't end up with Buffy. He returned to L.A. feeling dissatisfied with the results of the trip, but feeling more dedicated than ever to helping Ivy. After all, her father needed to be rescued.

He returned to his apartment and found Ivy just where he had left her. She looked up at him as he walked in.

"How'd it go?"  
"I'd answer that, but I'm not sure you really want to know." He sank into the armchair he favored. He wanted a drink, but something told him he needed to be clear-headed to talk to Ivy.

"That bad, huh? Look, I have some news. But it can wait if you want." She studied him, something in her face making him wonder if the concern he heard in her voice might actually be more genuine than he had originally thought. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Don't worry about it, pet. What is your news?"

"It appears that Irinia has upped her game, and we need to move. The only way we can stop her is to go into the future. She's weakest there, and we can fight her. I've been in communication with a group of witches and they are on their way here. They can do the spell as soon as they land. But I need your help." She looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"I'll go with you." Spike wanted to do whatever it took to help her. But he couldn't help but feel weary at the thought of magic. He remembered Willow's ill-fated 'thy will be done spell'. "Give me some time to unwind from Italy, and I'll be good to go." He stood up, poured himself a glass of Scotch, and headed for his room. Ivy sighed, knowing the hard part was yet to come, but feeling better now that Spike was back.

:~:London, A Few Days Earlier:~:

Buffy and Xander met up about an hour later. Blaine found them a little while later. He carefully avoided Xander. A few minutes of awkward silence later, Althenea found them and led a group of six other witches into the room. Willow was with them. They formed a circle around Buffy, Xander, and Blaine.

"We've decided on the best time frame to send you back. We've chosen a time and place with the least amount of likelihood that you will run into your past selves, but also be able to return when your mission is finished." Althenea handed Buffy an envelope.

"What do you expect us to do once we're there exactly?" Buffy started to open the envelope but Althenea stopped her.

"Find me. Give me that. It has all the information I'll need about Irinia." She turned to Blaine. "You'll need to be the one to find Giles. Meeting you, as long as he doesn't learn your true identity, should be safe enough." She whispered something to him, and Blaine nodded stiffly. Althenea turned back to the others. "Good luck."

With that, she gave the signal and the witches circled around them began the spell. For a few moments, nothing happened. Then, all of a sudden, Buffy felt an odd sensation, almost like every molecular in her body was being pulled in different directions. She heard Xander groan and figured he was experiencing the same thing. Buffy squeezed her eyes tight against the pain. A moment later, the ground tilted and Buffy collapsed.


	8. Chapter 8

:~:London, Approximately Three and a Half Years In The Past:~:

Buffy blinked in the bright light as she came to. She wasn't quite sure where she was at first, but she knew that she had to get up and find the others. She sat up, and her head spun momentarily. It passed quickly, though, and she found Xander and Blaine out cold nearby.

Instinct told her they were both okay, but she moved to Xander to reassure herself that he was still okay. She made sure he was still breathing before moving on and checking on Blaine. He had hit his head in impact, and Buffy was a bit worried that he had suffered a severe injury. Gently, she tried to wake Blaine up. He stirred every so slightly and opened his eyes just a tiny bit.

"Mom, go away." He moaned slightly. Then, he jerked, and opened his eyes wider. His face drained of blood and he looked up at her. "Oh, oh crud. I didn't..." He sat up, his face going whiter still with the effort.

"I'm guessing you didn't just mistake me for someone." Buffy narrowed her eyes at Blaine.

"I...I don't know if the time is right."

"I know Althenea doesn't want anything to happen to change the future, but-"

"It isn't that, actually. She told me you'd eventually have to know, so I could tell you. But..." Blaine glanced over at Xander's unconscious form. "Not everyone is going to be as welcoming to me as Althenea and you. I knew that from the beginning, but I still don't want to push things." He shrugged apologetically.

Buffy studied him, her face scrunched in thought. She could certainly see a certain amount of family resemblance in his face. Besides, from the beginning, she had felt a need to protect Blaine that she hadn't understood. If what she was beginning to suspect was true, then it actually did make sense.

"Okay, but I expect you to tell me everything as soon as possible." Buffy narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms across her chest. Blaine broke into a smile, and shook his head.

"Okay, okay. I'll tell you everything as soon as I can. For now, I'm going to go find Giles." Blaine stood up, swaying slightly but recovering quickly. "I'll come find you as soon as I've warned him. And convinced him I'm not some nut job." Blaine headed off, and Buffy realized they were near the spot where the Watcher's Council stood. She moved back to Xander and gently woke him up.

"I'm awake." Xander grumbled as he sat up. "Ow, my head. Any idea where we are? Or when for that matter?" Buffy shrugged.

"Not sure when, but we're in London. I'm sure of it." Buffy stood up. "I think we are near the original Watcher's compound. If it's still there, that would mean it's before the First destroyed it."

She held out her hand to him and helped Xander stand up. Buffy led the way, remembering how to get there. Sure enough, the old building stood where the new one had been in their actual time. Buffy looked at Xander.

"Althenea said we wouldn't be very likely to run into our past selves. I think I have an idea of when we are, but I'm not sure I want to consider it." Buffy bit her lip in thought.

"Oh, Buffy. It's 2001." Xander indicated a paper stand, where the date was obvious. "I know why Althenea said we weren't likely to run into ourselves. I'd still be in the US. You're dead. This is the day before Willow brought you back. Giles would just be landing." Xander turned and looked at Buffy.

"Blaine went off on his own to find Giles. I suspect Althenea told him where to look. We, in the meantime, need to track down the Coven. They weren't headquartered in the compound in 2001." Buffy glanced at the building that housed the Council.

They started walking, having no idea just where to start. They turned a corner, and Buffy literally ran into a figure. As she apologized, Buffy recognized the woman.

"Mirabella!" The red-haired witch didn't look any younger than she had when Buffy met her shortly after Giles' death.

"I'm sorry, have we met?"Mirabella studied Buffy's face. Buffy groaned slightly. Xander shook his head and moved forward.

"We have a mutual friend. We need your help. Althenea asked us to bring her some information." Xander pointed to the folder in Buffy's hands.

"Let me see that." Mirabella's voice was urgent, and Buffy hesitated. She wasn't sure why, but something felt off about the situation. Mirabella has a desperate glint in her eyes when she looked at the folder.

"I don't think that's such a good idea. Althenea asked us to give it directly to her." Buffy watched as, for just a moment, Mirabella's face gave away how much this had distressed her. A moment later, she had schooled her expression back to one of serene calm. But Buffy knew what she had seen. Xander caught her eye and nodded slightly, indicating he had seen it too.

Buffy and Xander slowly backed away from Mirabella. Mirabella narrowed her eyes at them. Buffy felt a strange sensation, and was sure it was something Mirabella was causing. But before Buffy could react, Althenea appeared behind Mirabella.

"Mirabella, my dear. Here you are. I wondered where you had gone." Althenea glanced at Buffy and Xander. Something like familiarity flickered in her eyes. "Oh, I see. And who is this?" Buffy, now free of whatever Mirabella was doing to her, stepped forward.

"Althenea, I've been asked to bring you something important." Mirabella tried to sidle away from them, but Althenea turned to her.

"I think it prudent that you stay where you are." A moment later, Mirabella appeared unable to move. She glowed at Althenea, who took the file from Buffy. "Your coming was foretold. Please, follow me." Buffy glanced worriedly at Mirabella. "Don't worry about her. She cannot harm you. Besides, I am afraid she isn't in her right frame of mind." She narrowed her eyes at Mirabella.

"Can we get somewhere more private?" Xander's face was worried as he looked around.

"Yes, please. I feel exposed here." Buffy looked around as well. Althenea nodded. She led the way to a nearby house. It was small, but cozy.

Buffy and Xander followed Althenea into the house. Altheneas spell carried Mirabella in as well. Looking around the room, Buffy noticed a few of the other witches from the Coven of Devon. Althenea led them to a bedroom. Here, she tied Mirabella up, and flipped through the file.

"It's just as expected." She looked up at Buffy. "Now, I suppose I must learn your names."

:~:Spike's Apartment, L. A. :~:

Spike emerged from his room a bit later, knowing he had to help Ivy. She was wearing her light jacket, evidently ready to go.

"The witches have landed, and asked us to meet them at a secure location. I was about to knock on your door." She smiled at him nervously, but Spike wasn't paying much attention to her.

"Let's get moving, pet. The sooner the better to get this over with." He caught sight of the look on her face and backtracked. "Get the spell over with, I mean." She nodded and followed him out the door, quickly telling him the location of the meeting. Spike led he to a car he had _'borrowed' _from Angel's garage. Spike figured the prat probably wouldn't even miss it. Spike got into the driver's seat as Ivy climbed into the passenger's.

Soon, they arrived at the building. Spike looked up at the building.

"Are you sure this is where they said to meet?" He looked at Ivy suspiciously.

"Yes, I'm sure. This is where Willow said to meet them." Ivy bit her lip, reminding Spike of Buffy in a not-unpleasant way. Then, her words registered in his brain.

"Did you just say Willow?" Ivy looked at him and nodded slowly. "Oh, great. The chances of this spell blowing up in our faces just went up a great deal."

"Look, Willow is one of the only people willing to help us right now. Cut her some slack please." Ivy glared at him, and Spike couldn't keep a straight face. He felt a smile creep over his face as she reminded him yet again of the blonde Slayer.

"Let's go inside, then." Spike got out of the car. Ivy followed him. Before they could knock on the door, it swung open. Willow came through, nearly knocking Spike down.

"Whoa Red. Where's the fire?" Willow's head jerked up at the sound of his voice.

"Spike? So it is true! You're alive!"

"Well, in a manner of speaking. As much as any vampire has been alive, I suppose." Spike helped her regain her balance.

"How are you here exactly? Buffy said you burned up in the Hellmouth." Spike sighed.

"It's a long story, Red. If we all make it through this new complication, I will gladly tell you it all. But Ivy has made it clear that we are in a bit of a rush."

"You're very right. In fact, I was coming out to call Ivy and check in." Willow turned her attention to Ivy finally. She beamed at Ivy. "I definitely see a family resemblance. You look a lot like your mom when she was younger." Ivy blushed slightly.

"Thanks, Willow. I get that a lot." Spike eyed them both suspiciously. But before he could raise any questions, Willow ushered them inside. They found several other witches inside. Willow introduced Spike and Ivy to the others.

"Now that the two of you are here, we can get the spell under way." Willow turned and addressed Spike and Ivy. She caught sight of Spike's expression. "Trust me, this will work without any problems." She half-smiled. "I have had lots of practice since the old days."

Spike looked at her skeptically. He decided it wasn't worth arguing over, however. He realized what Ivy was saying about cutting Willow some slack. After all, it wasn't like they had much choice choice otherwise. Besides which, Willow had been decent to him on a few occasions.

"Let's get this show on the road, Red." The witches formed a circle around Ivy and Spike. Willow moved to them.

"We're sending you twenty years into the future. Spike, I must warn you. You need to be very careful not to run into your future self. Since we are sending you to Ivy's natural time, it is vital that you stick with her, Spike. She will help you find the Coven when it's time for you to return." Spike nodded in understanding. He looked at Ivy, knowing that even without Willow's warning, he had no plan to let Ivy out of his sight.

"Willow, it's time." One of the witches stepped forward. Willow nodded to her and moved back to the group. The witches began chanting all together, and Spike felt a strange sensation. It was like a twisting of his insides. It was painful, but not excruciatingly so. Then, the world tilted and Spike felt like he was truly and absolutely drunk, even though he had only had the one glass of Scotch.

After a moment, everything seemed to fall out from under him, and Spike saw nothing but blackness. He wasn't sure how much later it was exactly when he came to again, but he woke up in a strange field. All around him, the ground showed signs of damage as though from a great battle. He sat up and found Ivy resting not far from him. He moved to her to check on her and was filled with relief in finding that she was still alive. He knelt down beside her.

"Ivy. Wake up, pet. We need to get moving." Ivy slowly came to, and sat up. She blinked at him.

"I'm good. Let's move." Ivy started to stand up, but her ankle buckled. "Ow, ow, ow."

"Where does it hurt exactly?" Spike asked worriedly. Ivy pointed to her ankle and Spike gently touched it, probing as gently as possible. She winced as he touched a tender spot. "I don't think anything is actually broken. But it's definitely sprained."

Ivy nodded slightly. She bit her lip against the pain. Spike pulled off his shirt and began ripping it into straps. He used these straps to wrap Ivy's ankle. As soon as he was sure it was tight enough, he helped her up.

"Any idea where we need to go?" Ivy nodded.

"There's a house at the bottom of the hill. We need to start there." Together, they started toward the house.


	9. Chapter 9

:~:London, in the Past:~:

Buffy and Xander met the witches. As soon as Buffy had spoken her name, Althenea's face filled with a sadness and a recognition. It was clear she knew who Buffy was. In this time, Buffy would have just died. So Buffy had no problem understanding what the sad look was about.

"I'll take a look at the envelope. Surely, it will help us with Irinia."

"You know who Irinia is?" Buffy asked, feeling like she had been left out of the loop. Seeming to sense how she was feeling, Althenea smiled slightly at her.

"I-that is to say, the person I shall be in the future, probably has not told you much of what I know. Am I correct in thinking this?" Slowly, Buffy nodded.

"We need to know more about who she is if you expect us to fight her." Xander watched Althenea. Clearly, he was suspicious.

"I do not believe you are needed for the fight in the future. However, Mr. Harris is correct. You need to know more about Irinia. Come with me. I would like to discuss this while I assist Mirabella.." Althenea led them into a bedroom.

"You cannot help her, Althenea." Even though it was Mirabella's body that spoke, the voice was definitely not her voice. Mirabella glared at Althenea, who looked back passively. There wasn't even the hint of aggression from her, despite the nasty looks she was receiving from Mirabella.

"Please, sit." Althenea gestured for Xander and Buffy to take seats in the chairs in the room. As soon as they were seated, Althenea began speaking. She kept an eye on Mirabella as she did.

"It started a few weeks ago. Around the time that Buffy died. We, that is to say the Coven members, realized that Glory wasn't the source of the strange power we had been detecting as we had originally thought. After much consultation, we were able to determine the actual source. However, even the best witches among us were unable to discover the true identity of the source. Not until she first attacked. Afterwards, we knew the reason why we had such trouble figuring out her identity.

"Not only is Irinia a goddess, she has the ability to time travel. We have no idea why she has been dormant for millenia, but from what we do know, she has been on Earth for a long, long time. Every time we got close to capturing her, she would move times. This folder," she held it up, "contains all of the information my future self has discovered in the years since we learned of Irinia's presence on Earth. With it, we can't actually defeat her, but we can keep her more under control."

"How do you know you won't be able to defeat her?" Xander crossed his arms across his chest.

"She still exists in your time. Everything that we are currently discussing has already happened to the me from the future." Althenea gave Xander a very slightly amused smile.

"So this isn't going to...I don't know, rip a hole in the time-space continuum?" Buffy raised an eyebrow at Xander as he spoke. Rarely did he show his more geeky side.

"As long as we don't discuss any events, no. As I said, this meeting and you bringing me the folder had already happened. It was a safe event to do again. The me in the future knew it. I suspect it's why she didn't send you, Buffy, to warn Giles. That would give away that you hadn't permanently died after all."

Buffy nodded. That made a certain amount of sense. It was like the situation with Blaine. Sure, she knew she eventually would have a child. But knowing he existed wouldn't change anything, not really anyway. So, Buffy understood why Althenea had told him it was safe enough for her to find out. But Buffy was determined to keep it to herself. After all, the knowledge could change someone else's feelings.

"If you don't think we'll be needed to fight Irinia, why have us help out at all?" Xander's tone was once again skeptical. They reply came, not from Althenea, but from Mirabella.

"Even as we speak, the battle is already underway. Your side has chosen a fighter. But he cannot win. I will rise victorious and be queen of everything on this waste of space planet." Something similar to anger finally crossed Althenea's face.

"Hush, Irinia. You have no idea of what the future holds. Despite all your power, foresight was never one of your gifts." Althenea turned back to Buffy. "I must work on a spell to free Mirabella of this possession. As soon as I am finished, and your other member has returned, we shall send you back to the correct times."

"Blaine, the other person that came with us, is from a different time than us." Before Buffy had even finished speaking, Althenea nodded.

"Yes, but I believe he will be needed in his own time more than in yours." Althenea turned away from them again, and Buffy took it as a dismissal. She and Xander left the room together.

:~:London, In The Future:~:

Spike helped Ivy limp into the house. It was empty, and had clearly been for at least a little while. But Ivy was obviously very familiar with it. She limped into the kitchen, where she found some ice for her ankle.

"What is this place, pet?" Spike looked around. In a few places on the wall, the removal of picture frames had left silhouettes behind. He turned and found Ivy watching him.

"It's my home. My father removed the pictures of my mother after she died." Ivy's eyes were filled with utter sadness. Spike wanted to comfort her, but wasn't sure he was the best person for the job. She looked down again, and Spike turned his attention back to the room.

He had to admit. The house was cozy. If he had been human, he could see himself living in a place like this, settled down with a family maybe. Of course, there was a large part of him that squirmed at the thought. He shrugged off that line of thought and moved to examine a bookshelf. Mixed in with books he had never heard of, which were clearly contemporary to the time, were old leather-bound tomes.

"Is that a first edition of Pride and Prejudice?" He indicated one such book. Ivy looked up at him.

"One of my mother's close friends found it. I fell in love with the story, mainly because it reminds me of the stories my parents always told my brother and me about the early days of their relationship." Ivy stood, and limped towards his side. "Are you familiar with the story?"

Spike shrugged. "Not exactly. Never really had much time to read."

"Well, there's this woman. Her name is Elizabeth. She meets this man named Mr. Darcy and believes that he is nothing but a prideful and conceited man." Ivy touched the spine of the book gently, as though she couldn't quite bring herself to lift it off the shelf. "My mother and father didn't always exactly get along either." She smiled slightly. "But in the end, much like my mother and father, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy come to find that they are actually perfectly suited for each other." Ivy looked up at Spike.

"What's the next step? Where do we go from here?" Something about this conversation made Spike slightly nervous.

"We have to wait. I was told to meet someone here, and she should be here soon." Ivy made her way back to the couch.

Spike had just turned to follow her when there was a knock at the door. Spike looked at Ivy, who nodded, and then he moved to open the door.

The years had been very kind to Willow. She looked up at him with a smile on her face. "Hello, Spike."

:~:London, The Past:~:

Buffy and Xander helped the other witches around the house. The Coven was preparing for the spell that would send Buffy, Xander, and Blaine back. Buffy set about helping any way she could.

Eventually, Althenea came out of the room. She looked exhausted, but pleased. One of the other witches brought her over a glass of amber liquid and she drank heavily of it before looking up at Buffy. "I have eliminated Irinia's presence from Mirabella's mind. She is sleeping, but she is once again herself." Athena sat the empty glass aside. "Now, we shall wait for your fellow traveler to return, and then we shall send you all home."

From the front room, there came shouts. Buffy and Xander rushed into it. They found two of the witches unconscious and a woman with long blonde hair standing over them. Out of pure instinct, Buffy rushed toward the woman, catching her off guard. Together, they tumbled to the ground. Buffy held onto the woman's arms so she couldn't use them.

The woman ought to free herself and Buffy took an elbow to the stomach. Xander moved to check on the witches. Buffy and the woman continued to fight until Althenea appeared at the doorway. Even above the sounds of the fight, Althenea's chanting voice rang clear. Buffy didn't know what the spell was Althenea was chanting, but its effect was clear almost immediately. The woman she was fighting suffered some sort of spasm and fell unconscious to the floor.

"Move quickly, Buffy. Let's get her tied up so she can't hurt anyone else." Althenea threw a rope to Buffy and indicated a chair. As Buffy was tying the unconscious woman up, Blaine rushed in.

"What happened here?" He looked around at the destruction of the living room.

"I'll tell you everything in a moment. How'd it go with Giles?" Buffy didn't look up at him as she spoke.

"About as well as could be expected, I guess." He moved to a nearby chair, and righted it before sitting down in it. "Clearly not as exciting as here."


	10. Chapter 10

:~:London, The Far Future:~:

"Hello, Red. I thought we'd see you. You look good."

"I look old. But thanks for trying." Willow moved to hug Ivy, and noticed her ankle. "Were you attacked?" Ivy shook her head.

"No, I just landed wrong. Blaine isn't back yet, I take it?" Ivy's voice had a hint of worry but Spike could tell she was far more concerned than she was letting on. Willow shook her head.

"I'm afraid not. It might not mean anything has happened, though. Mirabella is in contact with Althenea right now, and if something did go wrong, Althenea would know." Ivy nodded but didn't look too convinced. While they had been talking, Spike had moved back to the bookshelf. He felt a strange sort of pull, almost like the books were trying to tell him something

He cursed inwardly, knowing this wasn't exactly the time to, give in to a strange curiosity he couldn't understand, but being held at its mercy nonetheless.

Willow and Ivy spoke in hushed tones as Spike studied the books. Curious, he lifted the copy of Pride and Prejudice off the shelf. Gently, he opened it. A scrap of paper slipped out of it and fluttered to the ground. Spike bent to retrieve it. Shock filled him when he turned it over to examine it. The scrap of paper was a photograph, and Spike's hand shook slightly. Buffy stood at the entrance of a room filled with flowers. She was very clearly wearing a wedding dress, her face lit up with such utter joy that it made his heart leap.

Why would Ivy have a photograph of Buffy in a wedding dress? Spike could only think of one explanation. It also explained Willow's obvious compassion for the young girl. Spike turned and caught sight of Willow and Ivy. They had seen him bend down for the photograph, and knew what would come next.

Before Willow and the Coven he sent Blaine and Ivy to the past, they had made it clear that telling Spike would cause changes in the future. He could not know the full truth. But he could know part of it at least. Especially if it meant they would have a better shot at saving Buffy.

"So Buffy...She has children in the future?" Spike asked, his voice soft. Ivy nodded.

"My mother was the Slayer known as Buffy Summers. She raised my brother and I with the abilities to fight off the demons that she had been called to fight as a teenager. When Irinia attacked, my father sent my brother and I away. But because Irinia was responsible for my mother's death, aunt Willow and the Coven believe it is actually reversible. Only if we can defeat her, though." Ivy met Spike's eyes.

"So who did Buffy marry?" Spike wasn't sure he was prepared for the answer, so he was relieved when Willow shook her head.

"If we tell you much more, it will change the way things happen. Saving Buffy and anyone else that Irinia is responsible for killing is one thing. Those deaths were not originally meant to happen. All we are doing is repairing the damage she has caused. The Coven has assured me that fixing the things she has done won't change things." Spike nodded.

"So what's our next move?" Spike placed the book back on its shelf. He moved back toward the couch where Willow and Ivy sat.

"Well, first things first. I need to heal Ivy's ankle. It might very well come down to a fight here, and we'll need her to be in the best shape possible." Ivy nodded and unwrapped her ankle so that Willow could see it. Willow did a small healing spell. Relief was almost instantly obvious on Ivy's face. She grinned up at Willow.

"Much better. Thanks Aunt Will." She hugged Willow and stood up.

"You're very welcome, Ivy. Let's go meet the others." Willow also stood up, and she led the way to the door. Spike and Ivy followed her. Spike was unaware that Ivy watched him as they left the house.

:~:London, Far Past:~:

Althenea explained to the group that the witches that had been attacked had been necessary for the spell. Therefore, they would need to recover a bit more before the Coven was ready to send Buffy and the others back. Buffy and Xander helped clean up the destruction caused by Irinia's attack.

"Buffy, can I talk to you for a bit? In…" Xander glanced around, "private?" Buffy knew he meant specifically away from Blaine. She sighed and nodded. They stepped outside of the small cottage.

"What's up, Xan?" He looked at her, and hesitated for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was heavy.

"I don't think we should trust Blaine. It's possible he's been working with Irinia." Buffy fought the urge to yell at Xander. Her voice was much calmer than she thought possible.

"What makes you say that? He has been nothing but helpful to us." Buffy glanced back at the door of the cottage. She knew she couldn't reveal Blaine's true identity to Xander. "I trust him. That should be enough."

"No offence Buffy, but you haven't exactly always had the best sense of who to trust. Look at what happened with Spike." Buffy crossed her arms, afraid he would see just how much the mention of Spike's name affected her. She looked past Xander, reigning in her emotions.

"Do not bring that up again, Xander." Her voice was forceful, but strong. He looked taken aback by it. "You don't understand any of it."

"I understand that he hurt you. That's enough for me to know he wasn't a good guy, Buffy. Not for you."

"Xander, enough. I am well aware of how you feel about Spike. Not that it matters at all, now. What does matter is that, once again, you have chosen to fight against me instead of with me. How many times do I have to prove myself, Xander?" She turned away from him. Xander moved to her, and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry. You're right. Fighting against you has never gotten us anywhere in the past. And I shouldn't have brought Spike up." She turned around to face him. "I still don't think trusting Blaine is a good idea. It feels strange to me that he showed up right after Giles was killed and right after Irinia attacked here." Buffy couldn't help but admit that she saw where his thinking was, and it wasn't completely unfounded. What Xander did next shocked Buffy, though.

He leaned down, until his face was even with hers, and gently kissed Buffy. Buffy's body went tense for a moment. She gave in and let herself get lost in the kiss, forgetting for a moment that it was Xander she was kissing. The moment she remembered, she pulled away and blinked up at him.

"I shouldn't have done that." He pulled away from her.

"No, no. Xander, it's just…" She touched his arm. "I didn't expect it. I thought…I thought you were involved with someone."

Xander cleared his throat and looked away from Buffy. It was true. There was someone he had been interested in. But she had quickly picked up on his feelings for Buffy. The feelings Xander had hadn't just vanished. Now, though, Xander knew they had most definitely changed.

"I am. Well, sort of. Look, can we forget this happened? It shouldn't have happened."

"Sure. No one else needs to know." Buffy felt a sense of awkwardness. Had the kiss been bad? Is that why he was acting so cool now? Buffy decided to let it go and headed back into the cottage.

"Buffy, wait." Xander called to her. Buffy stopped, one foot on the threshold. She turned and looked at him. "Are we good?"

"Of course we are, Xan. We're perfect." She forced a smile. Disbelief was clear on his face. "Really. Look, I'm not going to lie. That kiss caught me off guard, but I'm not going to say it was bad." She shrugged. "But you're right, too. It shouldn't have happened. What we have, our friendship, is one of the most important things to me. Let's not change it." She turned way and walked into the house. She was sure it was just the mention of Spike that had her feeling shaky.


	11. Chapter 11

:~:London, Present:~:

"Something is wrong." Willow, having just been transported back to the Watcher's Compound by the Coven, paced the floor nervously. "Shouldn't they be back by now? Shouldn't Giles be back?" She looked at Althenea. "Please come sit down, Willow. I am sure there is nothing to worry about yet." Althenea poured them both some tea. With a sigh, Willow moved to sit down.

"I wish I could do more to help." She picked up the tea and took a drink. "How do you stay so calm when there's nothing for us to do?"

"Easy. I trust your friends to do what they need to do. Buffy has overcome much, including losing people she loved. She is still deeply grieving the blonde vampire." Althenea looked at Willow. "You have to know that as much as I do."

"I do. I also know he wouldn't want her to know he's still alive. Or the vampire equivalent of being alive. I'm not sure why that is, though."

"I believe I can shed a bit of light on this. William Pratt, better known as Spike, is seeking redemption. He believes that he needs to become a better person before he can even see Buffy." Althenea sipped her tea.

"I understand that, I guess. But I don't think Buffy would see it that way. Sure, they were never exactly in a healthy relationship. Sure, he was obsessed about her and she used him. I know that after she came back, he was the only thing that made her _feel_ anything. I also know that she has been fighting the feelings for him for as long as they've known each other. I also know that things changed for her. I think it happened the night we all kicked her out."

"While that may be true, I think Spike still feels the need to prove himself. It may very well be that he isn't even trying to prove himself to _her._" Althenea set her cup down and looked up at Willow again. "Whatever the case may be, the Coven has foreseen that he shall get his chance at redemption soon. There is great turmoil stirring in Los Angeles. A great battle is coming. His choices in this battle will prove once and for all what kind of man William Pratt is destined to be."

"Will he survive?" Willow asked, worry in her voice.

"That will depend on his choices. Only he can determine which path his destiny takes." Althenea stood up. "I should caution you against letting anyone become aware of his involvement in this current matter, however. It would change the future in ways that would not be to anyone's advantage. Buffy cannot learn about his continued existence before the time is right." Althenea left the room, leaving Willow to mull over her position.

:~:London, Future:~:

Spike followed Willow to a small vehicle parked not far from the house. It resembled a car, but was much different than any Spike had seen in all his days of existence. Ivy and Willow got in while Spike was admiring it.

"Spike, come on. We don't have all day to look at the car." Willow grinned and indicated to the door. Spike got in, and Willow started the vehicle. "The Coven would like to speak to you both, but before that, we have to meet with the Council."

"Oh great. I _still_ can't escape from the Watcher's council." Spike said with a sigh. "What exactly do those prats want to meet me for?"

"Romana Merrick, the head Watcher now, believes you are the only one that can face Irinia. We have reason to believe that you are destined to be the one that defeats Irinia." Willow glanced back at him. "In your near future, Spike, there will be events that have led the Council to believe that you have a great potential when you are on our side as opposed to the other side." She glanced at Ivy, and there was no mistaking the warning behind it. It very clearly said '_Don't say a word.'_

"I don't know what that could possibly be." Spike slumped against the backseat. "It seems impossible that I would be able to clear my name in dear old Rupert's eyes." Spike closed his eyes, and leaned back against the seat.

"It's a long story, and not one that I am at liberty to discuss with you. But I can tell you it has a lot to do with the choices you make." Willow drove to the Watcher's Compound. She led the way to the head office.

Romana Merrick sat in front of the large desk. Spike was sure he hadn't met this woman before, but something about her struck him as familiar. When she spoke, he realized she reminded him of Wesley. More in manner than appearance.

"Hello, William. Or would you rather I called you Spike?" She indicated for him to sit in the chair across from her. He did, and noticed that Willow and Ivy had left the room. "I'm sure you're wondering why I am the head of the Council?"

"Something like that, yeah."

"Rupert Giles, in your time, was killed by Irinia. The other Council members named me as his replacement." She handed Spike a paper. "This is a report written by the leader of the Coven of Devon. Althenea has become a great source of information on Irinia. She believes that you are destined to defeat Irinia and allow the Coven to send her back to her home plane."

"Explain to me why the Spike from this time hasn't been able to. Or is there not a version of me in this time?"

"I assure you, you exist in this time. But you have changed in this timeline. For the better, possibly. Who's to say? But the point is, you are different in this timeline. No, Althenea was very clear. If anyone can defeat Irinia, it's the you from the past. The you that sits here now."

Spike took in her words. "It all comes down to choices, doesn't it? Willow said I had made choices that redeemed me in the eyes of the Council. You're saying that the me in this time has been changed and cannot defeat Irinia. It's all about choices, right? So what effects does this choice have?" Romana studied him carefully.

"The choice you make here secures all your future chances at redemption and happiness. William…" She saw the face he made. "My apologies. Spike, I cannot tell you what your future holds. Every choice you make changes it. But I can tell you what will happen if you don't help us. Irinia will continue her reign of destruction until no one that is capable of opposing her remains. She will destroy each of us in turn. Be it now or in the past. Irinia cannot be allowed to continue on. There is a team in the past. We're hoping they can subdue her and stop her from creating anymore chaos."  
"Defeating her: how does that change the things she's done?"

"Althenea and the Coven believe that sending her back to her home realm will cause ripples throughout our timeline. These ripples will heal all of the issues that Irinia has created. Anyone that has traveled in time will remember things about this timeline when time corrects itself, but the rest of us won't know anything about this fight." Romana stood up and Spike did the same. "You are our best hope." She led him to the door. "You're our only hope, if I was to be blunt about it."

Spike felt heavy as he went to meet Ivy and Willow in the cafeteria. He hoped he could live up to the pressure. He hoped he really would find redemption, even if he was now sure it wouldn't lead him to Buffy. After all, how could it when she had children and he was a vampire?


	12. Chapter 12

:~:London, Far Past:~:

Buffy moved to the woman in the chair. Althenea was still standing over the unconscious form. Buffy watched as Althenea performed a spell.

"What was that?" Buffy asked quietly when she was finished.

"It was an expulsion charm. It should free the woman you see from Irinia's control."

"So this isn't actually Irinia?"  
"Not in her true form. No, she was merely yet another puppet, much the same as Mirabella. Irinia has very little power in this time. She is able to control others, sending them to do her dirty work. That is the reason why I say that the true fight lies in the future."

"The fight is going to be in Blaine's time, isn't it?" Buffy glanced at Blaine. She felt a strong desire to protect him. It made a certain amount of sense, of course.

"He'll be safe. There are forces already moving into place and preparing for the battle. They will take care of Irinia. I have the utmost faith in them. You should too."

Buffy sighed. It would be much easier to trust them if she knew who it was that was going to fight Irinia. Althenea's face, however, made it clear that Buffy would know only when it was time for her to know. With a sigh, she nodded.

"Okay. I'm sure you're right and they can handle it." Buffy hated missing out on this fight. Couldn't she help?

"As soon as I have healed the others, we shall send you back. Why don't you and the others go sit in the kitchen?" Buffy nodded and passed it on to Xander and Blaine. The three of them headed into the kitchen.

Althenea healed the witches and together they headed into the kitchen. Althenea looked at the group gathered there. She smiled to the other Coven members.

"Sisters, it is time to send our friends back to their appropriate timelines. We will start with Blaine." She turned to Buffy. "We'll give you a few moments to say goodbye." Althenea and the others moved into the small bedroom. Buffy turned to Xander.

"Xan, can you give us just a moment?" Buffy held up her hand as Xander began to argue. "Trust. Remember?" Slowly and reluctantly, Xander nodded and walked into the living room.

"So…" Blaine said, watching the woman that would eventually be his mother. "I know you want to know more, but I'm afraid I can't tell you much." Buffy nodded.

"I figured as much, actually. Just do me a favor, okay? Even though I know everything will be okay if we can beat Irinia. But I would still appreciate it if you would take care of yourself, Blaine. Take it as motherly concern or whatever." Buffy smiled slightly at him.

"I will. Stay safe too." Blaine hugged her. He moved to the bedroom.

"One more thing." Blaine turned and looked at Buffy once more as she spoke. "Can I at least know your full name? Or at least your middle?" Blaine smiled.

"I was named after a great man. Two great men, to hear my father tell it. Blaine was an old childhood friend of my father's. That's actually my middle name. I prefer to use it."  
"What is your first name, then?"

"Rupert." Blaine smiled at Buffy. "My first name is Rupert." Blaine turned and left the room, leaving Buffy without another word.

Xander returned to the kitchen and noticed the odd expression on Buffy's face. She shook off his questions, reassuring him that it was nothing. She wasn't sure if he believed her or not, but she didn't have much of a chance to find out. A moment later, Althenea called for them. Xander and Buffy made their way into the small bedroom. Blaine was gone, but the circle of Coven members remained in position.

"We are ready to send you home. Please stand in the center of our circle." Buffy and Xander moved together. "When you are safely back in your own timeline, you are not to tell anyone anything you've witnessed during this timeline, understand?" Buffy nodded, feeling that this statement was directed towards her. "Good luck." Althenea and the others began the spell. Buffy felt the same pulling sensation she had felt the first time she had traveled in time. A moment later, the ground fell away and things went black.

:~:London, Distant Future:~:

After the meeting with Romana, Willow and Ivy led Spike to the Coven wing of the compound. As soon as they entered the room where the Coven was gathered, Ivy squealed and rushed forward. She threw herself at a boy with blonde hair. The family resemblance was obvious to Spike. So this was Buffy's son. Though their father still remained a mystery to him, Spike had to admit that he could definitely see Buffy's influence in their features. As the siblings enjoyed their reunion, a woman approached them. Spike wasn't sure who it was, but Willow quickly introduced them.

"Spike, this is Althenea. She is the leader of the Coven of Devon. She is the one that has been arranging all of this." Althenea smiled at Spike.

"Hello, William. I am so happy to finally meet you." Althenea beamed at him.

"Uh, thanks?" Spike looked around the room, confused. "But would you mind filling me in on the plan?" Althenea smiled again.

"Of course. Come with me." Althenea led him into a side room with a desk and chairs. Althenea sat behind the desk and Spike took the other chair in the room. "We believe that you are the key to defeating Irinia because you are a souled vampire. But it is more than that. You chose to obtain your soul, unlike the vampire known as Angel. In our circles, we know that choices make all the difference. Your choice gave you power. It makes you stronger than you might even believe." She fell silent, giving Spike a chance to respond.

"I think you must be mistaken. I mean no disrespect. But I'm not strong. I have given in to all of my worst sides more times than I can count, even since I've had my soul. It's one of the reasons why the First was able to control me. I am not a good man."

"You are. Buffy's faith in you never once wavered. Let me tell you something else: the Buffy in this time is dead. She cannot help. _You_ are the only one who can save her. If you defeat Irinia, Buffy won't have died." Silence filled the room as Spike took in what she said.

"So…what is it you want me to do exactly?" Althenea smiled at him. She proceeded to tell him the plan, and Spike had to admit it was a good one. Buffy herself might have even come up with it. Spike had a good chance of surviving. Spike agreed to do his part. After all, fighting this Hell Goddess would be very similar to fighting Glory, but they had something more on their side. A whole squad of Slayers and a Coven of witches would sway the odds in their favor.

"So you and the other Coven members will have the portal open, right?" Althenea nodded.

"All you need to do is get Irinia in position. We'll take care of the rest. Oh, and we managed to uncover something that might help." Althenea stood and motioned for him to follow her. She moved back into the main room and over to a glass cabinet.

"I thought that hammer was lost in the fight with Glory?"

"This is not the same hammer Buffy used. It is just as powerful as that hammer, however, and should help you accomplish your goal." Spike stared at the weapon. He was sure she was right. But this fight felt too personal to use a weapon like this hammer.

"Let one of the mini-Slayers use it. I have my weapons, and I can fight Irinia with them." He shifted his face into the vampiric mask. A moment later, he shifted his face back to normal.

"All right, Spike. We're gathering up a squad of Slayers as we speak. As soon as they are ready, we can head out. We have a source that has informed us of where Irinia will be. That is where this fight will take place." Althenea moved to a map and indicated a seaside location. The witches around them were gathering supplies and getting ready to leave. Ivy and her brother were chatting quietly with Willow.

In a few moments, the Slayers had gathered and were ready to leave. Spike followed Willow and the others out to vans outside the compound. Spike climbed into the one Althenea directed him to.


	13. Chapter 13

:~:London, Present Time:~:

Willow was sitting alone in the Coven wing when they appeared. Buffy and Xander seemed to fall out of thin air, landing in a tangled heap. Buffy pulled herself up and away from Xander rather quickly, leading Willow to wonder what had happened in the past between them.

"Oh thank goodness you're back." Willow hugged her friends. "Are you both okay?" Buffy nodded.

"We're fine, Will. How are things here? Anymore attacks?" Willow shook her head.

"We think the battle is probably keeping Irinia busy now. Hopefully, the timeline will be fixed soon."

"Is Althenea around?" Willow nodded and told Buffy where to find her. Buffy left the room and Willow looked at Xander.

"Okay, spill. What happened with you two?" Xander sighed.

"I kissed her. For a moment, it felt like she wanted it. But then I remembered who I am, and who she is." He shook his head. "She's still missing Spike." Willow bit her lip and turned away from him.

"I had wondered if that wasn't the case. But what about that girl, Xander? The one you brought back from Scotland. I thought you were involved with her?"

"I was. I _am._ But she realized I still had feelings for Buffy and…well, it's a bit complicated." Willow shook her head and turned back to face him, and she smiled slowly.

"Of course it is. It's love, Xander. No one ever said love would be easy. Speaking of which, I think I am going to go track down Kennedy." Willow hugged him one more time before leaving the room. Xander stood alone, thinking. The kiss had done something. It had made him realize that the feelings he had for Buffy were vastly different than they had been in high school. Sure, he loved her. But he didn't feel it in the same romantic way he had before. Over the years, Buffy had become more like a sister to him, much the same way as Willow.

In that moment, he knew. He went to find Ruby.

:~:London, Same Time:~:

Buffy wasn't avoiding the Xander awkwardness. At least, that's what she kept telling herself. She was simply meeting with Althenea to discuss the whole Irinia situation. The more times she told herself this lie, the easier it became to believe.

"Hey, Althenea, can we talk?" Buffy knocked on the door. Althenea welcomed her in.

"I'm going to take a guess and say you want to talk about Blaine, correct?" Buffy nodded. "I'm afraid I cannot tell you much more than I'm sure he's told you."

"I understand that. What I want to know is what will happen when Irinia is gone. Obviously, there's a lot that will change. You said that, by getting rid of her, we'll bring Giles back, right? How does that work?"

"We have been developing a spell since I first sensed her building power. It will send her back to her own realm and erase any influence she has had on ours. So, it will bring back anyone that she has been directly involved in the death of without causing any harm to the timelines." Buffy nodded. She didn't want to imagine a world without Giles, so she focused on doing whatever she could to help Althenea.

As if sensing Buffy's worries, Althenea smiled and touched her arm. "I have never claimed to be all-knowing. I cannot say, without a doubt, that everything will turn out all right. But there is something you should know. You have a bright future ahead of you. One of much happiness. The fight to get there won't be easy, but it will be worth it. You need to remember something, therefore. It isn't just the futures of everyone else that you are fighting for. It's yours as well." Althenea turned her attention back to her spell prep, leaving Buffy to think about what she had said.


	14. Chapter 14

:~:London, Far Future:~:

Spike closed his eyes as the van began to move, preparing himself for battle. A hand gently reached out and touched his arm. He opened his eyes, and saw a worried expression on Ivy's face. He hadn't even known she was in the van with him.

"Are you okay? I know things here have been weird for you." Spike smiled slightly.

"I'm okay, pet." He leaned back in the seat. "Besides, being here beats dealing with the Forehead."

"You mean Angel, right?" Spike nodded. "He's still in LA. Or at least, what's left of LA." A voice from the front seat cleared their throat and Willow twisted in her seat.

"Ivy. Remember, he can't know too much." Willow looked at Spike. "It's nothing personal, but-"

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. None of you can tell me anything because it will disrupt the way events move." He sighed and closed his eyes again. "Wake me when we get there."

Ivy watched Spike. She couldn't understand him. This person was very different than the one she knew. Willow was right. Telling Spike anything could change the outcome of so many different events. Ivy looked out the window. She wondered how things had gone with Blaine and his mission.

:~:London, Present Time:~:

Buffy moved through the halls, lost in thought. She couldn't help but think that she was missing something. She felt like it was staring her in the face. She was so lost in thought that she didn't see Xander until she had run into him.

"You okay, Buff?" Xander asked, as he helped her regain her balance.

"Sure. I'm okay. How are you, Xander?"

"Look, Buff. Do you think we can talk? About what happened when we were in the past?" Buffy nodded and looked up at Xander.

"Xander, it's okay. Look, I'm glad you're here. You're one of my best friends. I don't want anything to change that. I love you. But…'

"You're not _in _love with me. That's what I wanted to say. I…love Ruby." Buffy smiled widely.

"I'm so happy to hear that! I thought there might be something between you two." She hugged him. "Let's forget what happened in the past."

"Sure. Look, I know things are still rough for you. And, well, we still have the Irinia thing to take care of. But I hope that you find someone that makes you happy." Buffy took a breath before she responded to him.

"Thanks Xander. I'm sure it'll be okay." Feeling better, Buffy moved down the hall. But she still felt that she was missing something. She felt it was somehow connected to Blaine, but she wasn't sure how. Buffy shook off the feeling and went to find Dawn.

:~:London, Far Future:~:

The vans carried them to a remote area, far from any signs of civilization. When the van had stopped, Ivy shook Spike gently. Spike sat up and looked out the window.

"As cliché as this is to ask, are we there yet?" Ivy nodded.

"Irinia should be here shortly." The van doors opened. Willow helped Ivy out of the van. Spike climbed out after her.

"We have a bit of a hike and those of us in the Coven have to get in our places. We will trap her in a sort of vortex. You will have to fight her until the time comes for us to send you both back to your timeline. The coven should be gathered there and ready to fight her in that time. She can be defeated there, only after our spell is complete." Willow moved to walk beside Spike. "You can do this, Spike."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Red. I hope you're right." Spike followed Willow up the hill. As they reached the crest of it, the moon came through the clouds.

"We'll be around if you need us, Spike. But unfortunately, the majority of the fight is in your hands." Ivy and Blaine stepped forward then.

"We'll help as much as we can too." Ivy smiled at him.

"Look, pet. I know you mean well, but you and your brother should get as far away from Irinia as possible." Blaine glared at him.

"Our father's life depends on things going right here. Not to mention our mother's. So we need to make sure that things go well here, Spike. That means we are staying." Spike and Blaine glared at each other for a few tense minutes.

"Okay, we don't have the time to waste." Willow stepped between Spike and Blaine. "Spike, Ivy and Blaine will help you. They know how to fight, but they also know to get out of there if it gets too bad." Willow moved away, giving Spike no chance of retort. With a sigh, Spike moved to be ready as soon as Irinia appeared.

"Fine, but you two need to stay safe." After all, Spike thought to himself, they were a part of Buffy.

Irinia appeared then, chasing away anything else Spike might have said. She looked around the hilltop. When her eyes landed on Spike, her lips twisted up into a smile.

"Well, well, well. What have we here? The vampire Spike, come to save the day? You think you can take on me, Spikey? You think you can fight a Goddess without your beloved Buffy to help?" Irinia laughed, her voice high and full of mirth. Spike narrowed his eyes at her.

"You seem to know me well. So you should know, I don't give up without a fight." Irinia rushed towards him. Spike was ready for her, and darted to the side. Irinia growled and charged again. Blaine appeared and knocked her to the ground. Spike moved and took Blaine's place, standing over her. Irinia knocked him to the ground. They fought on the ground for awhile, Irinia trying to get her claws into Spike.

Blaine and Ivy waited for an opening. Blaine darted forward when Irinia had Spike by the neck. Irinia's head snapped up and she raised her hand. She cast a spell that sent sparks out at Blaine. Spike used the distraction to get free of Irinia.

Ivy rushed towards her brother, who had fallen to the ground. Blaine writhed in pain, his screams filling the hillside. Irinia advanced on the brother and sister.

"You two meddlesome kids are no better than your mother. You should have known to leave well enough alone. Now, your poor father will have to pay for your mistake." Just then, one of the Slayers rushed towards Spike, unseen by Irinia in her distraction with Ivy and Blaine. The girl handed Spike something and it took him a moment or two to realize it was the hammer. The duplicate of the troll hammer Buffy had used against Glory. Watching Irinia stand over Ivy and Blaine had done something to Spike. It had filled him with a rage he didn't know he was still capable of. He moved towards Irinia's back as she bent down closer to Blaine. She cast another spell, and Blaine's writhing suddenly stilled. Ivy cried out, but Spike was focused on Irinia's back. He swung the hammer and it hit Irinia in the back.

Unseen from the hilltop, the Coven's spell was being performed. As Spike's strike hit home, so did the spell. With a blinding light, Spike was once again aware of the feeling of the ground tilting away from him. He closed his eyes against the vertigo, but kept his balance.


	15. Chapter 15

:~:London, Present Time:~:

Buffy searched throughout the Watcher's compound for Dawn. She finally found her in her room. Buffy knocked softly and Dawn told her to come in.

"How's it going, Dawny?" Dawn looked up and rushed to hug her sister.

"I still can't believe it's true, Buffy. Giles is gone." Buffy hugged her sister.

"I'm hoping we can fix it." Buffy explained about Irinia and all the things she had learned, leaving out Blaine's true identity. They talked about what had been happening.

In another room of the compound, the Coven was gathered. It would be only a matter of time before Irinia and Spike returned. When they did, Irinia would have to be contained until she could be defeated. Willow was unsure that Buffy seeing Spike was a good idea just yet. After all, Althenea had made it clear that Spike had another fight coming up, one that would completely change who he was. But if he knew what the future had in store for him, it would change things drastically.

Luckily, Buffy was distracted when Irinia and Spike appeared. The Coven closed the binding spell, holding Irinia and Spike in the room until Irinia was defeated.

Spike's blow had hit Irinia in the middle of her back. As the arrived in the present, it sent her sprawling to the ground. Slayers rushed into the room, ready to fight. Irinia got to her feet, showing signs of weakness. Spike moved towards her.

"I told you I wouldn't go down without a fight." He swung the hammer again, and it knocked her out. Willow and the Coven quickly did another spell, one that opened a door to Irinia's home dimension. She was sent back to it, and they quickly closed the door.

Feeling numb, Spike looked at Willow. "Why didn't you all do that sooner?"

"She had to be unconscious for it to work, Spike. And she had to be here, in this moment."

"So just like that, everything's fixed?" Willow shook her head. "No, of course not. What now?"

"We're sending you back to the moment Irinia killed Giles. If you can fix it, you can keep him from dying. It will reverse the chains of events. You will be back in LA and everything will be right as rain." Althenea moved to Willow's side.

"Fine. Send me to the past. I'll deal with it." Althenea nodded and moved back. Willow hesitated.

"Spike, are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Red. I just want to finish this." He didn't want to tell her about Blaine, about what Irinia had done to him or how deeply it had shaken Spike.

"I know you don't have any reason to believe me, but everything will work out, Spike. You'll see." Willow smiled at him and moved away. Spike gritted his teeth.

The Coven started the spell, and Spike felt the familiar time travel feeling again. The ground tilted away from him. Spike closed his eyes again.

:~:London, A Few Days Earlier:~:

Spike found himself standing in Giles' office. It was so clearly Giles' office that Spike didn't even need to see the man himself. Spike looked around the office and saw pictures of Buffy and the others everywhere. Spike was smiling at one picture of Dawn and Buffy in particular when the door opened. Giles and Willow came into the room.

"Willow, please go and ask Althenea to come to my office. Let her know it's urgent?" Giles said, as soon as he had seen Spike.

As soon as Willow was gone, Giles moved to sit behind his desk. "I have a feeling I know why you are here, Spike. That is why I sent Willow for Althenea. I have one request."

"Oh yeah? And what would that be?" Spike slumped into the chair across from Giles.

"Buffy cannot know you are here. No matter what. I'm not keeping you from her because of your history." Giles held up a hand so Spike wouldn't interrupt him. "Althenea has warned me about Irinia. She has also warned me that certain events should not be messed with. If Buffy knew you were alive, it would distract her. That's why I have kept Andrew from saying anything." Just then, Althenea entered the room.

"Giles? You said you needed me?" Giles stood up.

"Althenea. Have you met the vampire known as Spike yet?" Giles indicated to Spike. "It appears the time you have warned me about has come. I believe Irinia will be here shortly. If Spike is able to subdue her, none of our planning will matter. However, in any case, it is probably time that those plans be set into effect." Althenea nodded and left the room.

"Wouldn't it just be easier if you weren't here when Irinia came looking for you?" Giles shook his head.

"Irinia is very different than Glory. She is tied to time, not a dimension. Have you fought her in the future yet?" Spike nodded. "From what Althenea has explained to me, this means she will be weaker her, a shadow of herself. Due to this, she should be much easier to fight." Giles stood up and moved to the window.

Just then, the door slammed open. Spike jumped to his feet as Irinia stepped into the office. Spike could see what Giles meant. She didn't seem to exude power the same way she had before. At first, she didn't even seem to notice Spike. Her gaze fell on Giles and her eyes narrowed as she watched him. Spike stepped between them.

"Not so fast, Irinia." Her glare turned to him.

"You. What are you doing here, vampire?"

"I'm here to stop you." Spike moved as Irinia tried to step around him. "This is the end Irinia. I will not let you kill Giles."

"Why not? What has he ever done for you, Spike? I know your history. I know he tried to have you killed. I know he took every opportunity he had to keep you away from your beloved Slayer. Why would you defend him?" Spike glanced at Giles and then back at Irinia.

"Even if I was holding a grudge about those things you said, I would still stand against you. Giles is important to many people I care about. I will not let you hurt them by killing him." Irinia growled and rushed Spike. As predicted, she was weak. The fight was over far too fast. As soon as Irinia had been defeated, Spike became aware of a strange tugging sensation somewhere near his stomach. The ground rushed up towards him, and Spike collapsed as everything went dark.

:~:LA, Present Time:~:

Spike woke up in his apartment. His head ached. Maybe it was the bender he had gone on? No, that didn't quite seem right. The last thing he remembered was being in Giles' apartment in London. He sat up in bed. If he was back in his own apartment in LA, that meant it worked. Right?

He shook his head and got out of bed. He'd have to go into Wolfram and Hart to see how things were going. He got dressed and headed in. Little did he know just how badly things were going to go.


	16. Chapter 16

:~:After The Battle Of LA:~:

Despite throwing himself into the fight, despite being ready and willing to die for the cause, Spike found himself lying among the ruble of the city after the fight was over. Angel had disappeared, fighting the dragon. The rest of them had been nearly overrun by a swarm of demons. Spike had lost track of the others while he fought.

Spike ended up falling unconscious in an alley. Now, as he came back to consciousness, he felt odd. He couldn't quite put a finger on it. He struggled up out of the rubble. His body felt oddly heavy, and he was starving. It wasn't the feeling of being thirsty for blood. No, this was a sensation he hadn't experienced in a very long time.

It hit him. He was hungry. Actually hungry for real food. He paused for a moment and took a breath. The feeling of breathing was strange to him. He was human. He had absolutely no idea how it had happened. The shock of it hit him with enough force to nearly topple him over again. He heard voices suddenly, and moved to hide from them. His ears weren't as good as they had been as a vampire.

"Buffy, I don't know what you expect to find. I don't know how anyone could have survived this destruction." Willow's voice floated to him over the ruble.

"Angel and his group fought the demons. Surely, at least one of them made it out. They have some questions to answer if they did." Spike moved to where he could see Buffy and Willow but they couldn't see him. Buffy was more beautiful than his memory had allowed him to believe. He fought back every instinct that told him to rush to her. After all, there was a reason he hadn't rushed off to see her the moment the amulet had released him and he had regained corporeal form.

"Wolfram and Hart released Hell on the town of LA. Althenea said it took almost all the Coven members to help close up the portal they created." Willow suddenly went silent. Spike was sure he hadn't made a noise, but Willow seemed to look right at him. "Hey Buff? Why don't you keep checking down there. I want to check down this alley."  
"Okay, Will. Stay close, though." Buffy headed off.

"Okay, Spike. You can come out now."

Spike moved out of the rubble. He was covered in dust, blood, and demon gore. But at that moment, he felt happy to see Willow. It confused him.

"Hey, Red." Spike stepped into the sunlight without realizing it. Willow took a sharp breath before realizing he wasn't burning up.

"Are you human, Spike?" Spike shrugged.

"I guess so, Red. I couldn't tell you how it happened, though. As for the fight, I can tell you anything you want. I'm just not sure that Buffy knowing I'm alive or…human is a good idea." Willow looked at him, confused.

"Why don't you want her to know, Spike? Don't you care for her?"

"Of course I do. That's why I'm saying it, Will. I'm not a good man. Giles said it time and again." Spike swayed slightly on his feet. He had been so distracted by his newfound humanity that he hadn't had a chance to take his injuries into account. Now that he wasn't focusing on breathing or his hunger, the pain was catching up to him. Willow reached out and helped him recover his balance.

"Spike, things are different now. Very different. She needs to know you are back. She needs to know you are human."

"Yeah, yeah. Things are different now that I'm human. But I'm still the same person I was as a vampire. I need to make up for what I did to her. To all of you."

"Okay, big bad. Let's find somewhere you can get cleaned up. We'll talk about it there." Spike directed her to his apartment, which was miraculously still standing despite many of the buildings around it having fallen due to the battle. By the time they got inside, Spike was barely able to remain standing. He made it to a chair in the leaving room and collapsed into it.

Willow sat in a couch across the room from him. "I could heal you, but-" Spike sat upright, his face pained.

"No. No spells. Please Red." Willow half smiled.

"I had a feeling you'd say that. I don't blame you, considering you've been on the receiving end of some of my not-so pretty spells. But I am much more adept now."

"It's not just that. Whatever I did to become human, I feel like it is linked to these wounds. I feel like I deserve these wounds." Willow shook her head at him.

"That's what I mean by everything has changed. _You_ have changed. Not just Buffy. Not just the perception of you by the rest of us. Moreover, I know you remember what happened with Irinia." Spike studied her.

"How do you know about that? I thought people were supposed to forget about it once it was fixed." Willow waved her hand in midair.

"Most people, sure. But Althenea is my teacher. And more importantly? It was something she needed me to be aware of." Willow shrugged. "My guess? The powers that be, whomever they really are, saw that you are doing everything in your power to be a better man. If I had to guess, I'd say that's why you're human now. You know, if you believe in that sort of thing." Willow smiled at him. "I should go find Buffy now, before she thinks I was attacked by a demon or something. But I really do think you two need to talk."

Willow stood to leave. Spike watched her for a moment, then stood up. He swayed, but only slightly.

"I'll come with you." Willow smiled at him. "Oh, don't look so smug. You knew I'd give in eventually." Spike and Willow left the apartment, Spike walking slowly.

They found Buffy in the remains of a bar. Angel sat on a stool, chatting with Buffy, who seemed interested to hear what he had to say. Neither one of them realized two other people had entered the bar at first. Spike felt his heart grow heavy. What if the prat had somehow won her back before Willow and Spike had shown up?

Buffy suddenly looked up at Willow. "Will! I found Angel." Suddenly, Buffy realized Willow wasn't alone. She took in Spike's appearance. "How?"

"It's a real long story, luv. I promise I will tell you everything. But what matters now is making sure the debacle outside is dealt with."

"No, I think you need to answer some things right now, considering all Hell has broken loose out there on the streets of LA. It's a little suspicious to me that you appear now." Buffy narrowed her eyes at him and put her hands on her hips. What Spike couldn't have known was that any anger she showed was a front. Every part of her wanted to run to him, to kiss him.

"Buffy…" Willow moved in front of Spike. "Let's hear what Spike and Angel have to say about the battle. Then we can worry about how Spike got back." Willow glanced at Spike. Spike felt a surge of gratitude for Willow just then. He had always been somewhat fond of the witch, but he never would have admitted it before. Was his suddenly newfound humanity proving to be changing him?

Angel stood up. He seemed amazingly uninjured. Spike glared at him. Angel didn't even seem to notice. His attention was wholly on Buffy. Spike turned his attention to Buffy, who was speaking.

"So far, Angel, you have explained very little as to what actually happened here." Buffy turned to look at Angel. Spike took the instant of her distraction from him to move so that he could sit down at the bar. Willow watched him but he shrugged at her.

"Well, like I said. It started when I started working for Wolfram and Hart. I thought that I could work from the inside to bring them down." Angel glanced at Spike briefly, but didn't say anything. In fact, when he spoke again, it was obvious he was censoring out Spike's part of the events leading up to the battle. Angel explained about the Circle of the Black Thorn. Angel had pretended to be a part of it so that he could better destroy them.

Buffy listened, silently. Spike debated about interjecting his but he realized it wouldn't do much good right now.

"So, with Gunn barely standing, Wesley dead, and Illyria actually feeling sadness over his death, we stood ready to face the throng of demons Wolfram and Hart unleashed on us. We had all accepted that this fight would almost certainly end in our deaths. I took on the dragon, and lost track of the others." Angel looked at Spike, expectantly.

"Oh, did you remember that I fought in the battle too?" Buffy studied Spike.

"I think we need to hear your story, Spike." Buffy, noticing something was off about his face, moved towards him. Her face softened, but she still hesitated. Spike watched her, then half-smiled.

"You're right, pet. You do need to hear my story." Spike glanced at Angel, then at Willow. "It's a long one, so you might want to sit down, Red." Willow moved to sit down and Buffy crossed her arms, staring at Spike.

"Start talking, Spike. I really want to know how you came back." Spike sighed and started talking.

"It started with that blasted amulet. The one Angel brought to help us in the fight against the First. When the Hellmouth closed, my soul or whatever was trapped in the amulet. Somehow, the amulet was brought to Wolfram and Hart. Forehead there was none too happy when I appeared, let me tell you." Angel's brow furrowed, but he didn't interrupt Spike and he didn't argue.

"How exactly did you come back?"

"I'm not entirely sure. When I first came back, I was completely incorporeal. I walked through walls and all that. It was…not enjoyable. That wasn't even the worst part about being incorporeal." Spike shuddered.

"You can skip those details for right now. You're obviously corporeal now. How did you get that way?"

"A package was sent to the office." Spike shrugged.

"What Captain Peroxide is not mentioning is that a man by the name of Lindsey was behind it all. He was using Spike to distract me from the Shanshu Prophesy. From my destiny." Buffy looked confused, but it was Willow that spoke up.

"I've read about that. It says that a champion, a vampire with a soul, will save the world and as a reward, the Powers That Be will make him human. Right?" Angel nodded, but his gaze was firmly on Buffy. He didn't notice the look Willow and Spike exchanged.

"Anyway, I became corporeal again. I decided to stay and help Angel out, since I thought I might be able to make a difference here." Spike found that he couldn't quite look Buffy in the eye suddenly.

"You didn't think that it might be something those of us in London might want to know?"

"In fairness, Andrew did know. I'm pretty certain Giles knew too." Spike was still looking at the ground, but if he had been looking at her, he'd have seen the way her eyes narrowed. She pursed her lips. "Andrew was here when the whole Dana thing happened, after all."  
Buffy raised an eyebrow. She knew all about the Dana situation, but she hadn't quite realized Spike had been involved. She hesitated, wanting to hear more about exactly how he had been involved. But she knew there was more important things she needed to hear about first.

"What about the battle. You said you were there." Spike looked up at her briefly, then. He studied her for a moment before looking away again.

"Like I said, I had stayed here to help Angel. When the battle started, I knew I had to help." Willow stood up then.

"Buffy, I think we need to get out there and try to find more survivors and make sure LA is safe. We can interrogate Spike later." Buffy was still watching Spike. She nodded slowly, not taking her eyes off Spike. Spike, noticing her staring, looked up at her. He was nearly holding his breath, lest she realize the truth.

"Okay, let's get going." Buffy looked at Angel and then at Spike. "I guess you two will have to stay here." She looked up at what remained of the stairs. A ribbon of sunlight streamed down them. "How did you and Willow get here anyway, Spike?" Spike looked at Willow, hoping she would have a better answer. Willow bit her lip.

"Spike…is different, Buffy." Buffy raised an eyebrow at Willow then looked at Spike.

"What does she mean, Spike?" Buffy crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Spike, it'd make things easier for all of us if you just told her. There have been too many secrets as it is." Spike hesitated for a moment. Then, he looked up at Buffy. He took a deep breath.

"I'm human, luv. I'm not sure how it happened. The last thing I remember is fighting a horde of demons. When I woke up, I had a pulse. Red found me not long after that." Buffy's face was full of emotion, but Spike couldn't read the different emotions that crossed her features.

"Okay, so…you're alive. But not only are you alive, you're _alive._" Buffy rubbed her forehead. "I think I need to sit down." She moved to a bar stool. "I don't understand what is going on. I thought the Irinia thing was hard enough to understand." Buffy muttered to herself.

"The Irinia thing?" Angel asked, moving to Buffy's side.

"You remember Irinia?" Spike asked, nearly in unison with Angel's question.

"Wait, you know about Irinia, Spike?" Buffy studied his face again. "How?" She looked between Spike and Willow.

"Buffy, Spike was the one that defeated Irinia in the future. While you and Xander were in the past, Spike was in the future." Angel raised an eyebrow.

"Spike went to the future?" Everyone ignored Angel. Spike was watching Buffy's face. Some emotion was there that Spike didn't quite understand.

"I don't understand. Why didn't anyone tell me you were alive? Why didn't _you_ tell me you were alive, Spike?"

"That's a difficult thing to answer, pet." Spike looked at the ground again.

Buffy bit her lip. She looked at her hands, fighting tears. She wouldn't let him see her tears. She wasn't sure what exactly she was feeling, and she needed to sort it out. But sitting here with Angel on one side of her and Spike on the other wouldn't allow her to think clearly. Buffy knew she needed to focus on the mission, to make sure that LA was clear of demons.

"I need to get back on patrol. Willow, are you coming?" Buffy didn't look at Spike.

"Buffy-" Willow started, but Buffy stopped her.

"Will, I need to do some thinking. I'm not sure how I feel about everything yet. It's a lot to take in." Buffy stood up. "Spike, you're welcome to help us, but as I've said: I need to do some thinking. I'd appreciate it if you respect that." Spike nodded, feeling numb inside. It was as he feared. She was rejecting him.

"Anything you want, pet." Buffy headed towards the door. Willow glanced at Spike and then followed Buffy.


	17. Chapter 17

Buffy made it to the top of the stairs before the wave of emotions she had been trying to keep at bay hit her all at once. All she wanted was to run back, to be with Spike, to tell him how much she loved him. Pride kept her from doing so. She was hurt. She was hurt that he didn't think it important to tell her he was back. Willow touched her shoulder.

"He didn't keep it from you to hurt you, Buffy." Willow spoke softly. "Spike believes that he has to prove himself. Not just for you, but for himself. He has to prove he can be a good man. I mean, he was evil when we all met him, and none of us ever let him forget it. Especially you, Buff." Buffy looked at her friend, but she couldn't say anything to deny it. Willow had a point.

"Do you think I was too hard on him?" Willow sighed.

"I think he's too hard on himself. I think you are hurt, and you have a lot of thinking you need to do. But I think that if you are still in love with him, you need to tell him, Buffy. Especially before you lose him again." Willow stepped a bit away from Buffy, waiting for her friend.

Buffy hesitated only a moment longer. She was hurt, but she also knew that her relationship with Spike had never been healthy. She had used him. She had fallen for him, but it had scared her. She hadn't wanted to fall in love with him, especially after the things they had done to each other. She knew that the way she had treated him had been a big problem in their relationship. It had been his sacrifice in the Hellmouth that had made her realize just how wrong she had been. She had spent the last year realizing just how much she loved him. Of course, she had thought it had been too late. And, well, she had tried to tell him that she had loved him. But he didn't quite believe her. Again, she couldn't blame him.

"Buffy, are you coming?" Willow interrupted Buffy's internal monologue. Buffy nodded and followed Willow, deciding to focus on the mission before talking to Spike.

Down in the bar, Angel and Spike glared at each other. Angel was very clearly nonplussed with Spike and his humanity. You think you're the champion?" Spike raised an eyebrow at him.

"I've already told you, mate. I have no idea what happened." Angel rolled his eyes.

"So what? You think you can win Buffy now that you're all human?" Angel narrowed his eyes. "You're still you, Spike."

"Well, I don't think you have anything to worry about. Buffy didn't see all that excited to see me." Spike stood up. "Look at it this way, Captain Forehead. Now that I'm human, I'll be out of your hair. There's no reason for me to stick around here." Spike headed for the stairs. "I wish you the best of luck with things here. You'll need it." Spike started up the stairs.

Angel was left in the remains of the bar, angry at Spike and the Powers That Be. How had this happened? How had Spike, William the Bloody, become human? Was it the Shanshu prophecy or was something else at work here? Angel was basically trapped for the time being. The sun was up, and he was stuck in the ruins of Caritas.

Angel slammed his palm down on the remains of the bar. How was the blonde nightmare human when he, Angel, deserved it more? The sun was still his enemy, the one thing stopping him from getting Buffy.

Elsewhere in the city, Buffy and Willow moved through the empty streets, in search of survivors. Buffy wanted to go back and talk to Spike. She wanted to tell him how much she had missed him. The only thing keeping her from doing it was her pride.

Willow, for her part, remained silent. She knew her friend would figure it out. She just hoped it wouldn't take too long. Willow knew Buffy was in love with Spike. But she also knew that Buffy had been hurt. Spike hadn't told her when he came back. Willow knew that Buffy felt very deeply injured about that. She also knew her friend had pined for Spike in secrecy for the year since his death. Finally, Willow couldn't stand the silence any more.

"Hey, Buff. Do you want to talk?" Buffy stopped and turned to look at Willow.

"I…don't know what to do, Will." Buffy rubbed her face. "I want to go back and talk to him, but…at the same time, I'm angry."

"Buffy, consider who you are talking to. If I had been given the chance for even a moment of time with Tara, I'd take it. You love Spike. I know none of us have made that easy on you. Regardless, if you still care about him, you should go after him. He is different, Buffy. He's not trying to be the big bad vampire he was when we all first met him anymore. I think _you_ changed him, Buff." Buffy stared at her friend, shocked by her frank statements.

"You think I'm the reason he became good?" Buffy watched as her friend nodded. She stared off into the distance. "Maybe you're right. It doesn't matter right now. We were given a mission."

"Buffy, the mission can wait. Spike might not." Buffy sighed, knowing Willow was right.

"Okay, let's go back to the bar. Hopefully, he's still there."


	18. Chapter 18

Spike made his way through the streets blindly. He wasn't sure where he was heading, he just knew he had to get away from Angel. Spike picked his way through the ruble of the city. He didn't want to hang around the bar with the Forehead, but he also wasn't sure he wanted to run into Buffy either. For a moment, Spike paused and looked up.

He hadn't taken a moment yet to truly appreciate his situation. He was human again. For the first time in over a century, he could enjoy the sunlight on his skin. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the warmth.

"Enjoying the sunlight, Pet?" Illyria's voice caused him to turn. He had wondered where the Old One had been. She looked ragged, which shocked him. He couldn't remember her looking so…_injured_ before. The "training" sessions he had done with her had not seemed to have any impact on her. Now, however, she was clearly injured and disheveled.

Shaking off the shock of seeing her that way, Spike raised an eyebrow at Illyria. Then, he smirked.

"Nice to see you too, Blue. Though, I must say, you've looked better in the past." Illyria rushed at him. Spike's human reflexes were not quite as quick as his vampiric ones, though they weren't as slow as a typical human's either. Nevertheless, by the time he had reacted, it was too late. Even in her injured state, Illyria managed to grab hold of his throat. As a human, he needed air. Spike choked as Illyria cut off his airways.

"Do not ever speak to me in that way again, Spike." Illyria tightened her hand around his throat until Spike saw black spots. Just as he was about to pass out, Illyria suddenly groaned in pain and fell to the ground. Shaken, Spike looked down at the Old One on the ground.

"What in the name of sanity is going on, Blue?" Spike knelt down beside her. Illyria clutched her head in pain.

"Help…me." The voice that came out of the Old One's mouth was not like Illyria's. It was strange. Spike reached out and touched her shoulder. Illyria jerked away, and turned to look up at him. Her eyes were red.

"C'mon Blue. Let's get you to Angel. Maybe he can figure out what's going on." Spike helped Illyria stand up. Though she was a little unstable, she was able to walk with very little help from him. They slowly made their way back to the remains of the bar, much to Spike's chagrin.

:~:~:~:

Buffy and Willow had reached the bar before Spike and Illyria. Buffy's heart sank when she realized Spike was gone. How were they going to find him now? Angel seemed all too happy to have the company.

Buffy sat at the bar as Angel and Willow made small talk. She couldn't help but feel that she should be out looking for Spike. Willow, however, had convinced her that Spike would return to the bar at some point. She was just about to give up and leave when she heard a noise from the entrance. Spike appeared, alongside a woman with blue hair.

"Spike! What's going on?" Buffy jumped up and rushed to his side. The strange blue girl immediately moved in front of Spike and into a defensive position. "Whoa. I'm not going to hurt him, Blue."

"Illyria?" Angel said from his place at the bar. He stood, keeping to the shadows, and came to join them. "What happened to you?"

"The battle did not go as planned, Angel." Just then, Illyria collapsed again, her body racked with spasms. Spike knelt down beside her.

"She found me out there. Can you help her, Angel?" Spike caught and held Angel's gaze. Silently, something passed between the two of them. Buffy knew they hated each other. Clearly, the last year of working together had not helped matters. But they seemed united on helping the blue girl. Angel moved to kneel down beside her.

"Illyria, can you hear me?" Angel gently touched her shoulder. Slowly, she looked up at him.

"Angel?" The voice was very human, very much unlike the voice that had issued from the same mouth seconds earlier.

Angel gently picked the blue girl up and carried her over to the bar. Buffy glanced at Spike, but he was seemingly too distracted to notice her. Buffy tried not to let that bother her. After all, she hadn't been fair to Spike earlier.

"That was Fred's voice." Willow said softly. "I heard what happened. Illyria is an old one that Wolfram and Hart allowed to take over Fred's body. If Fred's voice is coming from her…" Willow looked worried.

"How is that possible, though?" Buffy asked Willow. Willow shook her head as she watched Angel gently lie Illyria on the remains of the bar. Spike moved to join them. Together, Spike and Angel whispered. Buffy wondered what they were saying.

"I have no idea, but it can't be good. Maybe it has something to do with the battle with Wolfram and Hart. Giles said the Senior Partners went into hiding in the Italian branch of Wolfram and Hart. Maybe things that they set into motion are falling apart now." Buffy studied the girl on the bar.

"We should help them." She moved to join Angel and Spike, and Willow followed.

"I don't think that will be effective, Forehead. Clearly, this has something to do with Wolfram and Hart. You taking them down must have triggered it." Spike crossed his arms and glared at Angel.

"I would watch myself if I were you, Captain Peroxide. You're not a vampire anymore. You're breakable now." Angel glared right back at him.

"Enough, you two. Now's not the time to see who is a bigger man. Can we focus on helping Illyria, please?" Buffy stepped between the two and placed one hand on each of their chests.

"Whatever caused this, bickering won't help it." Willow was still standing beside Illyria when she spoke. Everyone turned to look at her and Illyria.

"You're right, Red. You're both right." Spike turned back to look at Buffy. "Thank you for coming back, even if it wasn't because of me."

"But, Spike. It-" Before Buffy could finish her sentence, Illyria screamed in agony. They all rushed to her side. Illyria writhed in pain.

"We need to figure out how to help her quickly." Angel looked extremely worried. "Can you do anything to help, Willow?" Willow bit her lip in thought. Then, she moved to the Old One. Carefully, Willow reached out to touch her. Softly, Willow muttered something. Illyria's spasms stopped, and she appeared to be sleeping.

"That's not a long term fix," Willow said after she finished the spell. "All it will do is ease her pain. We need to come up with a more long term solution. I need to talk with the council and probably the coven as well." Willow glanced at Buffy and then at Spike. "Illyria will sleep for a while. She doesn't need to be constantly watched." Then, Willow stepped out of the bar to use her phone.


	19. Chapter 19

Willow dialed the number for the Watcher's Council. After only two rings, Giles answered. His voice was filled with sleep, and Willow was sure that Giles had, once again, fallen asleep at his desk.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Giles. I know it's late there. But there's something here I need help with."

"Is everything alright, Willow?" Giles' voice was full of worry. Willow wondered if his late office hours were related to the events in LA.

"Buffy and I are fine. The Old One here in LA is not, however." Willow explained what was going on. Giles listened without interrupting her. After she had finished, Giles was silent for a few moments. Willow wondered if maybe they had been disconnected. Before she could ask if he was still there, Giles broke the silence.

"I believe Illyria's power is waning. From what we have learned about Angel's group and the events of the battle, it sounds like Illyria was, in some way, linked with the Wolfram and Hart LA branch. It is possible that she is fading from the body of Fred."

"What happens to Fred if Illyria leaves her body?" Giles sighed heavily.

"I'm afraid that outcome probably will not be pleasant. I will talk with Althenea. Maybe the coven can come up with a more permanent solution. Perhaps she should come to London anyway." Willow sighed. She had known this would most likely be Giles' solution. After all, it meant they could better keep an eye on the Old One if they were able to save her.

"I'll speak with them and see if they'll agree with that."

"How is Buffy handling things with Angel?" Willow bit her lip and decided it wasn't the right time for Giles to know about Spike's close proximity to Buffy.

"Fine. She's doing just fine. We haven't been able to find any survivors in LA. It looks like most people were able to get out in time. The Wolfram and Hart building is completely demolished. It should be safe enough to send the other Slayers in to help."

"Very well. Thank you for letting me know. I will let you know what the coven decides." They hung up after that. Willow hesitated before heading back into the bar. She hoped that Spike and Buffy would realize how crazy they were being before it was too late.

:~:~:~:

As Willow headed outside, Buffy caught Spike's eye. In silence, they watched each other for several moments. Buffy longed to tell him the million and one things going through her mind. She longed to reach out and touch him, but something kept her from doing so. Instead, she moved a little bit away from Angel and Illyria, hoping Spike would follow her. When he did, her heart lifted ever so slightly.

"I was hoping we could talk for a moment." Buffy said softly. Spike studied her without saying anything. Buffy felt her cheeks turn red. She grasped for the right words to say what she wanted. "I'm sorry about what I said before." Spike raised an eyebrow at her. "I wasn't exactly being fair to you. Big surprise there, huh?" Buffy sighed and shook her head. She covered her face with her hands.

"Luv, look at me." Spike moved closer to her and put a hand gently on her arm. "Please, Buffy."

Buffy uncovered her face and looked at Spike. She bit her lip, preparing herself for whatever he had to say. If it was negative, she knew it was deserved. What he actually said surprised her.

"You were right, Pet. I should have told you I was back. I was scared you could never love me. Then, after Forehead and I went to Italy, I figured you had moved on. We saw you with the Immortal. Or at least, we _thought _we had seen you with the Immortal. We were convinced that, while you were making a mistake, it wasn't right for either of us to interfere with you moving on. So I thought it was just better to leave you alone." He looked down at the ground. Buffy took a step towards him.

"I was never with the Immortal. That was a ruse."

"I know that now." He looked up at her, and his breath momentarily caught in his chest looking at her. "I did not mean to hurt you by keeping my existence from you. I just needed to figure things out on my own." Spike sighed heavily and shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I'm nothing but a prat." Buffy touched his cheek.

"Spike, I get it. Okay? Don't beat yourself up too much. We've both made a ton of mistakes."

"Buffy, I saw your future. I-"

"Hush. I don't want to know. Whatever it is, I don't want to know about it before it happens. As far as I'm concerned, I am the only one who can control my future. You telling me what you saw won't change my mind, Spike. So don't be a bonehead and just kiss me already." Buffy grinned at him and Spike did as she asked. This kiss was different than any other kiss they had previously shared. His human lips molded to hers in a way that, as a vampire, he had never experienced. Time seemed to slow to a halt for the two of them.

"Would you two just get a room already?" Angel's voice was annoyed. Buffy and Spike broke their kiss, and Buffy couldn't help but feel resentment for Angel in that moment. She knew he was upset that she had chosen Spike over him, and she felt bad because of that. But she couldn't help what her heart was telling her. Before either Spike or Buffy could respond to Angel, Willow rejoined them in the bar.

"Giles is going to talk to the coven. They might be able to come up with a way to help her." Willow spoke out loud to the whole room. Buffy brushed past Spike, allowing her fingers to linger on her arm for a moment longer as she did. She joined Willow near the remains of the bar.

"That's it?" Buffy looked at Illyria again. "She needs help, Will."

"Well, Giles also recommended that she be taken to London."

"No. Absolutely not." Angel's voice was gruff and full of anger. Everyone aside from the sleeping Old One turned to look at him.

"I told him you'd be against it, Angel." Willow said with a small sigh. "Look, maybe the coven will come up with something to help, and it will be a moot point. But I think you ought to consider that it might be the only way to get her the help she needs. Giles believes that Illyria's power is waning. If she fades to nothing…" Angel finished Willow's sentence.

"Fred's body won't be able to survive." Willow nodded. "She seems to be slipping back though. What if Fred really is there and is okay?" Buffy felt a wave of sadness for Angel. He had cared very deeply for his team, and now they were all gone. Buffy wanted to comfort Angel, but she knew that, given her decision about Spike, it would be the worst thing she could do.

"Angel, it's not likely. Her injuries from this battle alone would be life threatening if not for the Old One's presence. Unless we can keep Illyria from fading completely-" Angel interrupted Willow.

"Okay, okay. I get it." He shook his head. "What now? Do we just stand around waiting for Giles to get in touch?" Willow bit her lip. "I'll take that as a yes." Angel sighed heavily.

"Angel, I-" Buffy didn't know just what she planned to say. Before she could say anything, however, Angel turned to glare at her.

"Don't, Buffy. Just…don't. You're choosing him? Fine. Do whatever you want." He threw his hands up in the air. "I don't want to hear about it when things fall apart." Buffy's face flamed. She wanted to smack him. She wanted to burst into tears. She wanted to do a million and one things, but she didn't do any of them. Instead, she turned away from Angel and focused on Illyria.


	20. Chapter 20

The bar was filled with tension. Spike desperately wanted a drink. Or even just a moment alone with Buffy. Spike was still convinced Buffy deserved more, would end up with someone better. For now, however, he was determined to spend the time he had with her. It was better than the alternative.

Spike watched as Buffy moved closer to Illyria, her face full of concern. He found her all the more alluring, watching her now. Near them, Willow stood. She moved and whispered something to Buffy.

Spike's mortal ears didn't pick up what was said. Whatever it was, Buffy turned to look at him. Her face was curious as she studied him. The red headed witch said something else quietly. Buffy nodded to her and moved back to his side.

"Until Giles calls Willow back, we have nothing to do here. Willow thought maybe we should use the time to gather your stuff." Spike raised an eyebrow at her. "That way, you can come back to England with us."

"Is that your way of telling me you want me to join you in London, pet?" Spike smirked at her. Buffy grinned back at him.

"Maybe." She leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "Come on, Spike. Let's go." She pulled him up out of the bar. "Besides, I want to see where you've been living."

They walked to his apartment, Spike enjoying the sunlight on his skin and her company. He had never seen the way the sun brought out the different shades of blonde in her hair, or how her skin seemed so much more beautiful in the sunlight than it had at night. She seemed to glow with an inner light. He wondered how he had never seen it before. Of course, he had never once seen her this way, in the sunlight. The only other time he had been able to see her with the sun up, he was too distracted by the Gem of Amara. He also hadn't realized yet that he was in love with her.

"What? Is there something on my face?" Buffy said, catching him staring. Spike grinned and reached for her hand.

"No, luv. It's just you. I'm not quite used to seeing you in the daylight like this. I didn't realize just how much it suits you."

"And you once told me that I belonged in the shadows just like you." She stopped walking and turned to him. "Instead, now _you_ belong in the light with me." Spike cupped her face in his palm and kissed her lips gently. Buffy's eyes closed in ecstasy. When the kiss broke, she sighed softly. He grinned at the look of contentment on her face.

"Come on, pet. We're almost there." He took her hand and led her to the apartment.

"This is so not what I pictured." Buffy moved around the small apartment, after Spike had opened the door.

"Wolfram and Hart supplied it. Or more like Angel supplied it. I had very little say over it." Spike moved to start packing up his scarce belongings.

Buffy sat in a nearby armchair. Soon, she had dozed off, as the hours of not sleeping had finally caught up with her. Spike debated about waking her, but decided she could use a bit of sleep. What was the worst that could happen in only a few hours?

:~:~:~:

Willow waited for the Coven to call, in an awkward silence. She wasn't quite sure what to say to Angel. She had been encouraging Buffy to follow her heart, and her heart was leading her away from Angel. Willow wasn't altogether surprised, as Buffy had been through some very drastic changes since she had dated Angel.

Angel would always be Buffy's first love. They had shared a lot of deeply important things. Nothing that Buffy had shared with Spike or any of the other guys she had dated negated that. Willow knew that Buffy would always care very deeply for Angel.

Willow knew better than anyone how it felt to move on. Tara had been there for Willow after Oz. Willow had been so convinced that Oz was the only person she'd ever love until Tara came along. When Oz had left, it had broken Willow's heart. When Tara had died, it had nearly destroyed Willow.

Willow shook herself from her reverie. It wouldn't do her or anyone else any good if she allowed herself to focus on Tara and her death instead of the events currently unfolding. She turned her attention back to Illyria. Nearly as soon as she did, the ground began to shake. Illyria's eyes shot open, and she screamed.

:~:~:~:

A loud noise interrupted Buffy's dream. It shook her from her sleep. She was instantly on her feet, the dream forgotten. It had been a good dream, but that was all she remembered.

The building shook again. Buffy kept her balance, rushing to a window. Spike appeared beside her.

"You let me fall asleep?" There was a hint of accusation in her voice. Spike looked unabashed.

"You looked exhausted, luv. You still look exhausted. Besides, it's not like I could have predicted there would be an earthquake while you slept."

"You think that's all this is? A simple earthquake?" Buffy looked out the window again, her face skeptical. She wanted to believe it was something simple. They were in Los Angeles, California after all. But her experience told her that the chances of it being simple were small. It had to be connected to Wolfram and Hart somehow.

"Relax, Pet. Not everything is connected to the evil law firm." Buffy turned to look at Spike.

"Either way, I think we ought to get back to Willow and the others. Are you all packed?" Spike nodded and grabbed his bag. Together, they left the apartment. The ground still quaked around them, but they made it out of the building without incident.

Together, they moved through the streets, dodging falling ruble. The ruins of the city were being torn apart as the ground shifted.

"This seems to be lasting longer than a normal earthquake, Spike."

"Maybe you're right. Let's see if Red has any idea what's going on." Between tremors, they picked their way through the streets till they reached the ruins of the bar. As they headed down the stairs, they heard shouts from below.

"Something's up." Buffy rushed off, leaving Spike to make his way alone.


	21. Chapter 21

Illyria started thrashing around. Angel and Willow moved to help her but it was soon clear that there was little either of them could do to ease her pain. Willow tried another painkiller spell, but it had no visible affect. The tremors beneath their feet made it hard for Willow to do much, while Illyria seemed to be battling unseen foes. One of her hands knocked Willow to the ground. Angel reached out and helped her up.

"Even unconscious, she's got quite a lot of power."

"You're telling me." Willow rubbed her chest where Illyria had struck it. "I don't know what's going on, Angel. But I think we might need to go find Spike and Buffy." Angel glanced back at Illyria.

"We can't very well leave her here alone."

"You don't need to. We're here." Buffy and Spike appeared at the stairs. "Any idea what the quakes are about, Will?" Buffy asked as they moved to the remains of the bar. Willow shook her head.

"No, but-" Her words were lost as another tremor shook what was left of the building. When it had finished, Illyria sat up, her hair whipping around her as though in a fierce wind. The thing was, the air was completely still. Her head turned, and she looked right at Buffy. The voice that came from her sounded odd. It was more masculine and gruff.

"You and your friends are no longer welcome in Los Angeles, Slayer. You need to leave." Illyria's head slumped forward again. Willow and Angel moved to catch her before she fell off the broken bar.

"What was that all about?" Buffy looked at the blue haired Old One. "Has she been doing that very much?" Willow shook her head.

"That's the first time she's been anything like awake for a long time."

"That wasn't her voice, either, Buffy." Angel glanced at Buffy.

"It sounded like a man." Buffy hesitantly moved closer. "Maybe it had something to do with these earthquakes?"

"It wouldn't be the first time earthquakes have unearthed something nasty." Willow sighed heavily. "It certainly wouldn't be surprising, especially if these quakes are related to Wolfram and Hart."

"Regardless, I still think we ought to finish scouring the city. Especially if there is something that has been uncovered. If there are still humans here, I don't want to leave them alone here." Buffy looked around the room. A witch, a vampire, a former vampire and a Slayer were all the resources they had. Buffy could probably convince Giles to send more Slayers if the need be, but she didn't think it was necessary just yet. "Have you heard anything from England yet?"

Willow shook her head, but before she could say anything, her phone rang. She looked at it, then stepped away from the group. Spike moved to Buffy's side.

"You look awfully worried, pet. What do you think is up?"

"I have no idea. But I really do believe that there's something going on. Of course, big surprise." Buffy rubbed her hands over her face.

"Relax, luv. We'll figure it out." Angel caught Spike's eye and something passed between them in the silence. It was as though, without words, they reached some sort of understanding. Spike no longer had any feelings of ill-will towards Angel. He had released any lingering feelings of resentment. There just wasn't time to hold onto those feelings. He hoped Angel felt the same, but he doubted it.

"What if we aren't supposed to figure this one out?" Buffy looked up at Spike again. "What if we're supposed to focus on the bigger picture this time?" Spike looked at her.

"What do you mean, pet?"

"I…I think maybe we are missing something. It seems odd to me that no one from Wolfram and Hart has attacked us. Where are they?"

"You might have a point, Buffy." Angel left Illyria's side to move closer to them. "Maybe the others have news about the Italian branch."

"I bet Andrew has reported back by now." Buffy looked between the two of them. "Meanwhile, I think we should figure out what to do about Blue there."

"She goes where I go." Angel's voice held a strong note of authority. Buffy raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't mean it like that, Angel. Of course we wouldn't leave her behind." Angel shook his head.

"That isn't quite what I meant, Buffy." Angel crossed his arms. "Andrew made it very clear how much you and the Council trust me. Trust is a two-way street. I do not know if the Council, and you by proxy, can be trusted with Illyria. There's a reason we didn't turn her over to them to begin with." He looked back at Illyria.


	22. Chapter 22

((Sorry for all the short chapters. I'm hoping to update more often, hence the shorter chapters.))

Willow spoke with Giles for a while. The conversation made her even more vexed than she already was. It appeared that Wolfram and Hart were targeting the Slayers. Several had been attacked, many more were missing. It wasn't strictly happening in Italy, either. It appeared that Wolfram and Hart associates were all over the world.

Moreover, the members of the Coven of Devon were experiencing issues. Althenea spoke to Willow during the phone call and explained that many of them were experiencing hallucinations and uncontrollable power fluxuations.

After she hung up, Willow headed back down the bar's stairs. She was met with an awkward silence, which she had honestly expected.

"What's going on down here? If looks could kill…"

"Angel has decided that, since we don't trust him, he doesn't trust us. And that extends to Illyria." Buffy sighed heavily. "So we're at an impasse." She crossed her arms.

"Well, we have bigger problems. I'd suggest we all get over who doesn't trust whom." Willow glared at all of them in turn. "Now is not the time for petty fights."

"Red's right. I know, that is not something I would normally say. But it's true, luv." Spike touched Buffy's arm. "We all need to work together. If we're too busy fighting each other, we won't be able to fight whatever is coming next."

"Yeah, yeah. United we stand, divided we fall. I get it." Buffy sighed heavily. "Okay. What is going on, Will?" Willow filled them in on her conversation with Giles and Althenea. "That added to Illyria's voice trick…"

"Adds up to some not so good things going on." Willow looked around the room again. "I think we all need to work together, and we need to get to London." This time, there was no debate. Even Angel agreed that it was the best course of action. After all, it might be the best place to fight Wolfram and Hart after all. They began making plans to leave for London.

Buffy still felt misgivings about leaving, especially if a new big bad had been uncovered. Willow's spells had uncovered no signs of life in LA, however, so Buffy figured it would be safe enough to leave. Besides, she reasoned, the vanishing Slayers and magic issues needed to take first priority.

They needed to figure out how to go about getting Illyria to London. Willow wanted to teleport them all. Needless to say, this idea wasn't popular with everyone.

"No, Red. I've been on the receiving end of your spells before, and it hasn't always gone well for me. I'll find another way to London, thank you." Spike looked at Buffy. "Maybe we can find a flight?" Buffy hesitated. Logic told her that the best solution was for them to teleport. Flying in the conventional sense might take too long. How many Slayers would disappear while they arranged to fly back?

Still, she couldn't exactly blame Spike. She remembered when they had been under a spell Willow had cast.

"Spike, Willow's magic has vastly improved. I think we should teleport. The sooner we get home, the better. Besides, I'm fairly certain the TSA would have a problem with Illyria." Buffy sighed. "We need to hurry." Reluctantly, Spike finally agreed and Willow prepared to teleport them all back to London.


	23. Chapter 23

Giles and Althenea were preparing for war. The Watchers Council was almost always ready for the next big fight, but everyone knew that the fight against Wolfram and Hart would not be like anything else they had ever experienced. Even so, Giles wasn't sure the fight would be in any way successful.

"There may be too high a potential cost of life this time. We are no longer talking about just one Slayer. This is not like any threat we have ever faced before."

"This time, however, you will have the full force of the Coven on your side as well as Willow, who has been exceeding even my estimations of her power. Besides, Giles, this is what you've been training the girls for."

"Yes, I suppose you are correct. Buffy is very capable of leading them as well." Giles sighed and took off his glasses. He rubbed a hand over his tired eyes. "How many have disappeared?"

"We have not accounted for ten of the girls. The Coven and I can find no trace of them, dead or otherwise. Whatever Wolfram and Hart have done, they've covered their tracks well." A knock on the door drew their attention away from their conversation. The door opened and a young witch named Amelia came in.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Mr. Giles but Willow Rosenberg and the others have just arrived." Giles stood up.

"Where are they?"

"In the cafeteria. Willow was weakened and they had a blue girl with them."

"That would be the Old One called Illyria." Althenea stood up as well and followed Giles out of his office.

:~:~:~:

Upon arriving in London, Willow had nearly passed out from the energy it had taken to transport them all. Angel was carrying Illyria, who was still out cold. They had arrived in the middle of the Watchers Council cafeteria.

"Will, are you okay?" Buffy moved to her friend, who could barely stand upright. Willow nodded, but her eyes fell closed. Buffy helped her over to a table to sit down.

"Where are we, Red?" Spike looked around, unsure if they were in London or not.

"We're in the Watchers Council compound." Buffy looked up at Spike. "Specifically the cafeteria of the compound." Buffy turned her attention back to Willow. "Can I get you something, Will?"

"No, I'm…fine. I just need a moment." Willow was still very pale, but she didn't look quite as dizzy. A girl with long red hair rushed over just then.

"Ms. Rosenberg! You're back!" Willow winced at the volume of the girl's voice.

"Amelia, I keep asking you to call me Willow. Please." Amelia nodded, practically bouncing in place. "Does Giles know we're back yet?"

"No, should I go get him?" Willow said yes, so Amelia rushed off.

"She's one of the younger girls the Coven is training." Willow smiled and shook her head. "She's very enthusiastic."

"Hey, that can be a good thing." Buffy said with a grin. "Speaking of enthusiasm, I should track down Dawn. She said she wouldn't leave till I got back, since school doesn't start for a few more weeks." Buffy turned to Spike. "She…doesn't know about you yet."

"Maybe that is how it should stay, pet. She wasn't exactly happy with me that last year in Sunnydale." Spike sighed. "Not that I blame her."

"Trust me. Things changed. I keep telling you that people see things concerning you in a new light now. When are you going to believe me, Spike?" Buffy touched his cheek. "And things will be even more different when people learn about your latest change." She moved her hand from his cheek to his chest, where his heart was beating.

"I hope you're right, luv." Spike watched as Buffy stood up. He hesitated. Should he go with her? What if Buffy was wrong and Dawn still hated him for what had nearly happened with Buffy before he had gotten his soul? Willow looked over at him.

"Go with her, Spike. Trust us, Dawn needs to see you." Spike turned and studied her. Slowly, he stood and followed Buffy from the room.

Meanwhile, Angel had carried Illyria over to an empty table and laid her down gently upon it. He brushed a loose strand of hair back off her face. Willow watched how he treated her. Before she could say anything to him about it, Giles and Althenea walked into the cafeteria. Althenea rushed over to Willow.

"Are you alright?" Willow nodded slowly.

"I'm fine. It just took more energy than I figured." Althenea studied her, and Willow knew she was looking at more than just her face.

"Your aura looks good. A bit on the dim side, but I'm sure it'll recover nicely. You should go rest. I'll send Amelia to check in on you in a little bit." Willow started to argue, but Althenea wouldn't hear it. So, slowly, Willow made her way to her room.


	24. Chapter 24

As they walked through the halls of the compound, Spike watched Buffy. She seemed so at home here in this building. In London, where Spike had vowed never to return after all the things that had happened before. Spike wondered if there truly was a place for him here, with her. Shaking those thoughts from his head, Spike noticed something else about Buffy.

Buffy seemed anxious to see Dawn. Spike wondered if something had happened to make her worry or if it was just the usual way Buffy always worried about the little bit. Before he could ask, Buffy came to a stop and turned to look at him.

"Dawn has been away at school for the last year. For a little while, I would visit her. But then, Giles sent me to Scotland for a little while. It turns out, there is a group of rogue vampires there. After that, it was hard to visit Dawn. But a few weeks ago, school ended and she came to stay here. Of course, then the battle in L.A. happened and I had to fly out there."

"Hopefully, you can spend some time with her before we have to get down to business." Buffy nodded.

"I know it doesn't seem possible, Spike, but Dawn really has missed you." She moved closer to him. Spike found it hard to breathe as she leaned in to kiss his cheek. "Of course, no one has missed you as much as me."

"Is that so?" Spike asked, breathlessly.

"I guess I'll just have to prove it to you later, when we can be alone." Buffy chuckled as she moved away from him and started walking again.

"Tease." Spike grumbled as he followed her. They came to Dawn's room and Buffy knocked on the door. A second or two later, Dawn opened the door.

"Buffy!" She threw her arms around her sister, hugging her tightly. She hadn't noticed Spike yet. "I'm so glad you're back. Are things okay in Los Angeles?"

"I'll tell you all about it, but I have something bigger to tell you first." Buffy turned and motioned to Spike, who stepped closer. As she saw him, Dawn let out a gasp.

"You-you're alive?"

"I sure am, Bit. In every sense of the word."

"What does that mean?"

"Spike is human now, Dawny." Buffy smiled at him encouragingly as she answered Dawn. "He's not a vampire anymore."

"What…how…but…" Dawn looked between the two of them. "Buffy, I thought you said he burned up in the Hellmouth?"

"It's a long story, pet. I'll tell you all about it. For now, why don't you and Buffy catch up? Maybe I should go wait in the cafeteria." As Spike turned to leave, Buffy put her hand on his arm.

"Not so fast, Big Bad. You're not getting off that easy." Spike raised an eyebrow at her. "Spike, stay. Please."

"Yes, please stay. We have a lot of catching up to do, and I only have a few more days in London." Dawn looked up at him, her eyes big. Spike knew in that moment that he couldn't go anywhere else. He refused to let either of the Summers girls down ever again. In that moment, he made a promise to himself that he would stick around as long as they wanted him.

:~:~:~:

"Has Illyria been unconscious long?" Giles was examining the Old One. Angel nodded.

"She's woken up a few times and said a few things." Angel described the voice that had come from Illyria's mouth but had not been hers. Giles looked concerned, but not overly surprised.

"We have reason to believe that the Senior Partners of Wolfram and Hart are using their connections to her. Since they were instrumental in her inhabitation of Winifred Burkle's body, we believe they also have implemented a way to keep control of her. I believe it was supposed to be a failsafe, in the event that she refused to cooperate. Of course, none of them saw what you did coming." Angel studied Illyria again.

"Is there any way to break that connection?"

"I have the Coven looking into that. For now, it would be best to move her to the infirmary. She can have a private room there, and we can keep the Slayers out of her way." Angel nodded to Giles. Althenea moved to join them.

"I would like to try a few spells that might help stop the decaying process. It won't heal her completely, but it might help a bit until we can break the connection." Angel nodded and gently picked Illyria up again. Following Althenea and Giles, he carried her to the infirmary.

"I know you do not trust us, Angel. Just as we do not entirely trust you. However, if we are to defeat Wolfram and Hart, we must work together. No harm will come to you from anyone employed by this Council or the Coven unless you harm them first. I would appreciate it if you would follow me, as I believe we have much to discuss." Angel balked for a moment. He still didn't trust Giles. However, Angel had never known Giles to be dishonest. He might withhold the full truth, especially if it was necessary to protect Buffy. Finally, Angel agreed and followed Giles after making sure Althenea would stay with Illyria.

Giles led Angel to his office. As they sat down, Giles studied the vampire in front of him. Despite the doubts that they had, Giles wasn't convinced that Angel had gone evil again. The man sitting across from him just didn't look the same as the soulless evil known as Angelus. Despite every reason Giles had to hate Angel, he knew that they needed him. Placing his own feelings aside for the time being, Giles asked Angel for details about what exactly had gone on in Los Angeles.


	25. Chapter 25

Willow had just crawled into bed with heavy eyes when it happened. At first, she wasn't sure if she was dreaming or not. After all, the angel appeared right in front of her. That was what Tara was to Willow, an angel. Willow's eyes could barely stay open, but she wanted to see Tara again.

Tara seemed disoriented. She looked around the room fearfully. Willow struggled to push aside the exhaustion and sit up. Tara's eyes found her and they filled with tears. Suddenly, Willow realized this was not, in fact, a dream.

"Tara?" Willow's voice shook slightly. Her exhaustion no longer mattered. She moved, wanting to reach out and touch Tara. Maybe then, she could be sure she was actually there.

"Wi-willow? Where am I?" Tara's knees buckled, and Willow rushed to catch her.

"You're here, with me Tara." Willow touched Tara's cheek lightly. Part of her still believed this was a dream. How else could Tara be here with her?

"I don't understand." Tears filled Tara's eyes as she searched Willow's face. "The last thing I remember was-" Tara shook her head, unable to continue. With Willow's help, Tara moved to the bed. As she laid down on it, she studied Willow. It was clear time had passed, but she couldn't be sure how long exactly.

Tara remembered the pain. She remembered the red blood on Willow's shirt. Then? There's was nothing. No pain, no fear. Then, there had been a light. And a warmth. This place didn't quite feel the way Tara had always imagined Heaven would. It was different.

She didn't quite feel like she belonged there. That's when she heard the voice. It was soft, and filled her with a sense of safety. The feminine voice was somehow familiar to her.

"You were not meant to die here, my dear one. That bullet was never meant for you." Tara tried to make sense of what the mysterious voice had meant. But her thoughts felt hazy. "The world is not yet ready for your absence. Alas, it is impossible to just send you back as well. Now that your human body is dead, we will need to make certain arrangements will need to be set in place first. Before those can be made, the Slayer known as Buffy needs to remove a player from the Earthly realm. Until then, you will remain in this place, between the living and the dead. I will allow you to view the events unfolding on Earth, but you will not have the ability to change them in any way."

"Wh-who are you?" As Tara asked, she felt a warmth on her cheek, as though the source of the voice had gently caressed her.

"You shall know me, in time." The voice, and the warmth it provided, disappeared. Tara was left alone in what appeared to be a dark space. In front of her, a window appeared. Through it, she could see Willow. Or someone very much like Willow. The Willow-like person she saw had dark hair and was surrounded by a dark aura of power.

Unable to do anything, Tara watched as Dark Willow nearly destroyed the Earth. She watched as Xander stopped her, just in the nick of time. She watched as Willow lived with the guilt and the pain. She watched as the battle with the First unfolded. She watched as Willow did the spell that would allow all of the Potentials on Earth to become full Slayers. She watched as Willow appeared, like a goddess herself, during the spell.

Tara had watched it all, waiting for the Voice to reappear and tell her it was time. She wanted to go back to Willow. She wanted to be on Earth again.

Time passed slowly for Tara. She had no idea how much time had passed on Earth. Finally, the Voice returned. It told her it was time. She could return. What felt like moments later, she woke up in the strange room bathed in light and staring at Willow.


End file.
